IPB Nutrition Expert: Free Nutritional Meal Program Effectively Press the Habit of Children's Random Snacks
JAKARTA - The consumption behavior of school children is now beginning to experience positive changes as the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program has been running for almost a year. This transformation in eating habits has a direct impact on improving the health profile of students, which is evident from the improvement in nutritional status and normalization of the Body Mass Index (BMI) of MBG beneficiaries in various regions.
The Professor of the Department of Public Nutrition, Bogor Agricultural Institute, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ikeu Tanziha, MS, revealed that the presence of MBG is a solution to the problem of indiscriminate snacks that often haunt the health of children and adolescents in Indonesia.
According to Prof. Ikeu, MBG has a unique role in balancing the Body Mass Index (BMI) of learners. Data shows significant improvements in children with nutritional problems.
"Children who were previously in the category of being very thin, rose to being slightly thin or even entered the normal category. On the other hand, children with overweight (overweight) have experienced a decrease in IMT towards ideal weight," explained Prof. Ikeu in an interview, quoted Saturday, December 20.
This phenomenon occurs because of the sense of fullness that is obtained from the portion of MBG that is measured.
"Because they feel full with nutritious food, the desire for random snacks that are high in salt, sugar, and fat (GGL) is drastically reduced," he added.
Education in "Ompreng MBG"
More than just distributing food, Prof. Ikeu emphasized that every MBG package received by students contains great educational value. This program teaches the principle of Balanced Nutrition directly to our children.
"Every food in the ompreng is not just food, but has educational value. Children learn that good food should consist of carbohydrates, two sources of animal and plant proteins, as well as vegetables and fruits," he explained.
This education is considered very crucial for the adolescent group. Prof. Ikeu highlighted the problem of body image among adolescents who often do strict diets because they feel fat even though their weight is normal, leading to malnutrition. MBG is present to correct the perception that being healthy is about balance of nutrition and physical activity, not just limiting eating.
"MBG's big goal is national nutritional fulfillment and improvement in consumption behavior. If the nutrition is met and the children are healthy, their educational achievements will automatically be higher," concluded Prof. Ikeu.
Until now, the MBG program has reached nearly 60 million beneficiaries, ranging from students, toddlers, to pregnant and lactating mothers. With a budget allocation of Rp. 71 trillion, this program has spread across 38 provinces and 7,022 sub-districts.
Not only about health, the infrastructure supporting this program also drives the national economy. With the operation of 14,773 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), it has absorbed more than 500 thousand workers.