Obesity can be prevented by controlling sugar, salt, and fat intake and through physical activity, acting Director for Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Handling (P2PTM) at the Health Ministry, Dr. Elvieda Sariwati, has said.

During a health webinar on Thursday, she said that the recommended daily limit for sugar is four tablespoons, salt one teaspoon, and fat five tablespoons.

Meanwhile, physical activities such as cleaning, gardening, and playing with children should be done at least three to five times per week, she advised.

“Obesity can be prevented, but it requires early detection and healthy lifestyle; so it necessitates people empowerment,” Sariwati affirmed.

Obesity can be detected early by monitoring and reaching the ideal weight and routinely measuring the waist size, she said. The waist size should not be more than 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women, she explained.

Obesity can also be detected by measuring the body mass index (BMI) and utilizing the obesity chart, she said. BMI should not be more than 27, she added.

Obesity, or excessive fat storage within the body, is a gateway to several non-infectious diseases and metabolic syndromes such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension, Sariwati noted.

According to data from Basic Health Research (RIskesdas) 2018, 21.8 percent of people in Indonesia are obese while 31 percent of people have central obesity, she highlighted.

Meanwhile, one out of five children in the 5-12 age group are obese, she said. While among adults, the number is one out of three, she added.

The government has taken numerous measures to mitigate non-infectious diseases such as health promotions for those who are not yet sick, she noted.

In terms of case handling, if obesity is detected at an integrated service post, patients can be referred to a community health center (puskesmas), she informed.

Source: Antara News