JAKARTA - Diseases that have long been synonymous with old age, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disorders, are now increasingly found in younger age groups.
Changes in lifestyle are one of the main causes of the increasing number of metabolic syndrome cases among the productive generation.
Professor of Internal Medicine and Internal Medicine Specialist Consultant for Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Prof. Dr. Sidartawan Soegondo, Sp.PD-KEMD, FINASIM, FACE, said that environmental factors have a major influence on the emergence of various metabolic diseases, especially when a person does not have a strong genetic factor.
"Our living environment is free food, rarely moving. Then there is the habit of overeating and ordering ultra-processed food. Eating is not given a pause. So automatically the young ones, physical activity is less, eating is excessive, moving less often, finally experiencing metabolic and vascular diseases in the young,"
"This is what Prof. Sidartawan said at the Daewoong Pharmaceutical Indonesia scientific symposium entitled Comprehensive Lipid Management in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes which was held on June 27, 2026 in the context of the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Indonesian Endocrinology Association (PERKENI) 2026 in Bandung, West Java.
According to Prof. Sidartawan, the ease of food delivery services makes it easier for people to access food anytime. Unfortunately, the choice of food consumed is often processed or ultra-processed food that is high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
On the other hand, people's physical activity has also continued to decline. Routine work in front of the computer, the use of vehicles for short-distance mobility, to more leisure time spent with gadgets make the body less and less active.
This combination of excessive diet and sedentary lifestyle is what triggers obesity, especially fat accumulation in the abdominal area or central obesity.
This condition is one of the main components of the metabolic syndrome which increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and chronic kidney disease.
Prof. Sidartawan admitted that the change was clearly visible in the clinical practice he was carrying out.
"In fact, in daily practice, I see. In the last few months, I have seen my patients who are less than 30 years old come to me with heart stents. Previously, 40 years and above," added Prof. Sidartawan.
According to him, the size of the waist circumference that continues to increase is often an early sign that many people ignore. In fact, visceral fat that accumulates in the abdominal cavity is closely related to increased risk of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease.
Although lifestyle is an important factor, Prof. Sidartawan emphasized that people with metabolic syndrome such as diabetes do not have to abstain from eating excessively. More important is to control the amount of consumption and understand what the body needs.
He also reminded that almost all types of food can still be consumed, as long as the portion is adjusted.
"People with diabetes can eat anything, just some can eat a lot, some can eat a little. Don't be like other people."
Even the use of sugar as a cooking seasoning is still allowed in limited quantities.
"Don't make it difficult for people with diabetes to live (diabetes-Red), pity. When you can't eat well? You can eat well, there are many who can't eat well," he said.
In addition to maintaining a diet, the public is also encouraged to exercise regularly, maintain an ideal body weight, get enough sleep, and undergo regular health checks, especially for those who have excess abdominal circumference or a history of metabolic diseases in the family.
Then he also reminded patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome not to focus only on controlling blood sugar levels, but also include the management of other risk factors, including levels of bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
"Keeping LDL-C at the target is an important step to reduce the risk of serious complications such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney damage in diabetic patients and those with metabolic syndrome," he concluded.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
