"I think it is time for the government to pay attention to the dangers of sugar, apart from the dangers of cigarettes," Chairman of IDAI Piprim Basarah Yanuarso stated in an online discussion held here on Tuesday.
Yanuarso suggested that the government mandate the labeling of sugar levels on food packaging, especially foods consumed by children.
"For example, providing (content information) on sugary drinks, like how many spoons of granulated sugar," he explained.
He suggested that sugar content labeling on food packaging could heighten parental awareness about children's dietary sugar intake, particularly in light of the rising childhood diabetes rates.
According to IDAI data, the prevalence of diabetes in children increased 70 folds from 2010 to 2022. IDAI data also recorded two cases of diabetes per 100 thousand children.
"Why is sugar so dangerous? (It is) because sugar is not considered harmful, unlike cigarettes, which are considered dangerous because there is a slogan 'cigarettes can kill you,'" Yanuarso stated.
"But what about sugar? So far, we have not seen any warnings on food or drinks that contain high sugar," he pointed out.
When children consume foods that contain simple carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed, their blood sugar levels will quickly spike and dip.
"If this continues, it becomes a vicious cycle, and the child becomes addicted and over-nourished, which can lead to diabetes, hypertension, kidney failure, and so on," he cautioned.
Hence, he emphasized the importance of preventing excessive sugar consumption in children to protect them from diseases.
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Translator: Hreeloita S, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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