TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pediatrician Ian Suryadi Setja explained that there are eight challenges for children's nutrition in the modern era. Currently, all parents work faster, more precisely, efficiently, even instantly. As a result, humans need technology to help their work patterns. This technology, of course, has an impact on various aspects of life, including children's nutrition.
"Nutrition as nutrients needed by the body for the growth and development of children that come from food and drink, turns out to change as the years go by," said Ian at the Ngobras event titled "Children of the Contemporary Generation and Their Milk, a Parent's Guide" on Monday, on June 5, 2025 at E+E Coffe & Kitchen Semanggi, Jakarta.
Ian said that despite the modern and convenient era, there are still 8 nutrition challenges that need to be aware of for parents and families.
1. Always Instant
In a modern era filled with technology, almost all industries use instant process, including food and beverage manufacturers. It turns out that this affects the nutrients absorbed by children when consuming them.
Furthermore, many parents also want instant results. According to Ian, many parents ask for instant medicine or methods to increase their child's appetite and weight.
Parents nowadays also often underestimate home-cooked meals. If there is no food at home and no cooking is being done, then they will order fast food online, which will be delivered to the house for the children and the family. "Believe me, this technology has a connection with nutrition challenges," said Ian.
2. Ultra Processed Food and Drinks
Food and drinks that are quickly processed in the industry and added with certain additional ingredients are called ultra-processed food. He said that these types of food should not be consumed regularly.
As a precaution, in choosing ultra-processed food and drinks, you should look at the composition of the ingredients. For example, if you want to buy instant coconut milk, if the composition of the coconut is 80 percent or more, then you can buy it. However, if the composition of the coconut is 50 percent or less, then it is not recommended to buy it. "Be careful, it could be ultra-processed food," said Ian.
3. Low Sensorimotor Skills
Technology such as smartphones, tablets, and so on given to children to watch, play online games, and so on will affect the sensorimotor skills of the child. Parents should not provide instant entertainment by giving them these things, because the child's brain is not ready to see such things. "If left unchecked, there will be changes in sensorimotor skills, such as not being able to chew, not being able to hold, and even unable to do anything," said Ian.
It is better, as parents, to train the child gradually and according to their age, such as taking them for a walk on pebbles, walking on grass, playing with building blocks, or things related to the child's development.
4. Too Many Snacks and Sweets
Currently, there are too many choices for snacks. Whether savory or sweet snacks, they all have various uniqueness, from shape, color, or taste. This is what makes snacks interesting to children.
However, as parents, sometimes they are not careful in choosing snacks for their children. This is because there are many snacks that contain excessive sodium or sugar that can disrupt child growth and development.
5. Misinformation from Social Media
Social media such as Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok that can share anything to the public also need to be considered. According to Ian, many parents self-diagnose their children when certain things happen without first confirming with a doctor.
This is because there is inaccurate information received by the child's parents on social media. However, the person providing this information is not an expert or doctor. "Be careful, there is a lot of inaccurate information on social media, which will later lead to misinformation," said Ian.
6. Mindless Eating
Mindless eating is when a child is eating without full awareness. This is because the child is doing other activities while eating, such as watching or reading. However, the child will focus more on the other activity than on eating.
If done continuously, the child will not have an appetite as typical children do. Typically, if children are invited to eat delicious food, their brains will react to the food, such as its taste and so on.
However, a child engaging in mindless eating when invited to eat will have their brain react to what they are watching, what book they are reading, and so on. "They will not think about eating and will not stimulate their appetite," said Ian.
7. Irregular Eating Schedule
As parents, you should set a child's eating schedule and not change it. Like mindless eating, an irregular eating schedule for children will result in a lack of appetite.
This irregular eating schedule will make the brain unable to regulate the hunger strength and not be able to distinguish when the stomach is empty.
8. Environmental Changes
According to Ian, many studies have revealed that for about 50 years, from 1950 to 1999, there has been a deficiency or reduction of nutrients, vitamins, and so on in vegetables. After being studied, it turns out that this is caused by environmental changes, especially in the quality of soil and water, which has decreased and the use of changing fertilizers. "So, the new era has many problems for nutrition," he said.
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