Referring to data from the Ministry of Health, Indonesia continues to face various nutritional issues, particularly malnutrition or stunting, and obesity. According to the Indonesian Nutrition Case Study (SSGI) 2021 survey, the prevalence of stunting is reported at 24.4%. This achievement is far from the government’s target of 14% by 2024.
Building on these facts, as part of the National Fish Day series, Regal Springs Indonesia has once again campaigned for the importance of balanced nutrition for children through a Health Talk webinar titled “Ensuring Nutrition in the First 1000 Days of Life.” The webinar, held on Saturday (17/12), attracted hundreds of participants.
Regal Springs Indonesia recognizes the significance of providing balanced nutrition for children, especially in the first 1000 days of their lives, as a primary goal for the company as a producer of nutritious food to educate the public. This activity is also intended as an effort to support the government in addressing malnutrition issues.
“The regular Health Talk sessions reflect Regal Springs Indonesia’s genuine concern for the growth and development of Indonesian children. By inviting experts and nutritionists as speakers, we hope to increase parental awareness about the importance of diverse sources of nutrition, including fish as a source of animal protein. Through nutritious food products, we aspire to contribute to building a better future generation,” said Ahmad Ihsanuddin, Head of Commercial Sales & Business Development.
Dr. Satrio Bhuwono Prakoso, M.D. (Ped) Sp.A., a healthcare practitioner, emphasized that genetic factors, hormones, nutrition, health, and the environment all determine a child’s growth. “We understand that there is both growth and development in children. Growth refers to changes in anthropometric measurements such as height and weight. Development encompasses physical, emotional, cognitive, and linguistic aspects that occur from childhood to adulthood. These two aspects, growth and development, are interconnected,” explained Dr. Satrio.
He added that as parents, one aspect that we can intervene in to determine a child’s growth is ensuring adequate nutrition, especially during the first 1000 days of life. “The first 1000 days of life are not just from birth but rather the period from when the child is in the womb until they reach two years of age. This is a critical period, so mothers should pay attention to nutrition even before planning for pregnancy or during the early stages of marriage. This period should not be overlooked,” emphasized Dr. Satrio.
Another speaker at the Health Talk session, Prof. Dr. Ir. C. Hanny Wijaya, M.Agr, highlighted that dietary intake during the first 1000 days of life significantly influences an individual’s quality of life into adulthood. “This is an initial investment that needs to be carefully planned, including selecting good-quality food for mothers and avoiding chemical substances as much as possible,” said Prof. Hanny.
For pregnant women and children during their growth and development phases, nutritious food such as Tilapia fish can be an excellent source of animal protein. “Good-quality fish, including Tilapia, should not have a fishy odor. The unpleasant smell of fish is caused by trimethylamine compounds. In the case of Tilapia fillets, the fish is generally very fresh during the production process, so there is no opportunity for the formation of compounds that cause a fishy odor,” added Prof. Hanny.
Prof. Hanny also emphasizes that parents should still pay attention to the nutritional composition, such as complete fat, cholesterol, and protein, for infants and children during their golden period of growth and development.
