Watching a bit of evening commercial TV in Indonesia last week, one thing that really struck me was the amount of advertisements dedicated to kid's nutrition. Not just baby formula, but those toddler formula, and other foods, often with emphasis on health and development.
It reminded me that I had read before about the extent to which children in that country were considered to have "stunted" growth due to poor nutrition. I thought I had posted about it before, but can't find it in my blog search.
Googling it certainly brings up the stories, though:
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors on June 26, 2023, approved a program to provide additional support to expand Indonesia’s efforts to improve the delivery and quality of health and nutrition services for adolescent girls, pregnant women, and young children to accelerate the reduction of stunting among children under five.
Stunting, caused by undernutrition and frequent infections, can result in slower growth, cognitive damage, and impaired learning. The World Bank’s Human Capital Project identifies stunting reduction as crucial for countries to reach their full productive potential. Concerted efforts by Indonesia have lowered stunting rates from 31.4 percent in 2018 to 21.6 percent in 2022, and the country’s goal is to cut stunting further to 14 percent by 2024. The World Bank’s Investing in Nutrition and Early Years (INEY) Phase 2 Program will extend the duration and scope of World Bank support to the Government of Indonesia’s National Program for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction.
This article at the ABC from 2019 has this surprising fact:
The country is classified as middle income by the World Bank, but its stunting rate is higher than those in South Sudan and Somalia.The government has responded by implemented a massive free meal program for schools and elsewhere:
Indonesia has launched a transformative free meal program designed to combat malnutrition and support underprivileged communities.
Championed by President Prabowo Subianto, the initiative aims to provide nutritious meals to almost 83 million Indonesians by 2029, focusing initially on school children and pregnant women.
However, logistical challenges, budgetary constraints and feedback from beneficiaries and experts highlight the complexities of implementing such a large-scale program.
But, the program is not without its problems:
Nearly 80 students across two high schools in Cianjur, south of the capital Jakarta, fell ill after eating the meals this week. Most of those who ended up in hospital have since been discharged.
This is the latest in a series of food poisonings that have been linked to the programme, a signature policy of President Prabowo Subianto.
Authorities investigating the case say the suspected cause is negligent food preparation. Samples from the vomit of students have been sent for lab testing, and police say they have questioned people handling the food, from cooks to packers to delivery workers....Across the world, programmes offering free meals to students have proved to be effective in improving health, academic performance and attendance.
But Indonesia's $28bn (£21bn) version - shaping up to be the most expensive of its kind - has become the target of food safety concerns and heated anti-government protests.
In February, when thousands took to the streets to protest at budget cuts, they aimed their ire at the hefty price of Prabowo's free school meals: "Children eat for free, parents are laid off," read one of their protest signs.
So, I guess it is no wonder that I saw kid's nutrition featuring on TV ads often...
3 comments:
You got to feed the girl egg yolks, bone broth, liver and fruit then feed baby at least three years. These baby formulas are industrial sludge with rare and expensive exceptions.
For too long eggs got a bad rap. Egg yolk is the best bioavailable source of lutein and zeaxanthin, the most protective nutrients for the eyes(not Vitamin A!). Raw is OK but soft bioled\poached is optimal. Eggs are an excellent all round nutrient source.
For old guys eggs make it easier to make testosterone. Before all these sophisticated supplements and things if you weren’t eating a lot of eggs every day you wouldn’t do very well on the weightlifting team.
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