健康专家:对食物的误解导致印尼人营养不良

Health Experts: Food Claims Fuel Malnutrition¹ among Indonesians

Some Indonesians believe that a woman who eats chicken wings will have a hard time finding a husband. Others claim that by eating the fruit of the pineapple tree, a woman reduces her chances of having a child.

It is because of claims like these that nutrition experts have launched a health campaign in Indonesia. It is aimed at girls and young women who suffer from poor nutrition because of their fear of some foods.

Experts said these food taboos³ were part of a wider system of cultural and social beliefs that lead to poor nutrition among many adolescents. They warned those traditions could affect girls’ education and chances for advancement⁴.

Nutritionists have found that Indonesian girls eat very little protein, vegetables or fruit. Instead, many turn to rice and processed foods.

"Indonesian girls are being left behind when it comes to nutrition," said Kecia Bertermann. She works for Girl Effect, a non-profit group that uses wireless⁵ technology to help girls.

"They don't understand why their health is important, or how nutrition is connected to doing well at school, at work or for their futures⁶."

The United Nations children's agency UNICEF says Indonesia has some of the world's worst nutrition numbers in the world.

UNICEF officials say two in five adolescent girls nationwide are thin because of undernutrition. They say this is a problem because many girls begin having children before they are 20.

Research by Girl Effect found that girls in populated areas ate little or nothing early in the day and, later on, ate processed food.

Many believed that feeling full was the same as having a healthy diet. They ate food with heavy carbohydrates⁸, leaving them in need of protein, vitamins and minerals.

Girl Effect is teaming up with a group called Nutrition International to improve girls’ diets. Using a mobile app software program, they provide a place where girls can read about health and social issues.

If successful, the campaign could be expanded to other countries, including the Philippines and Nigeria.

Experts said Indonesia was a country with two kinds of malnutrition: some people are extremely small and thin, while others are fat. They say the larger Indonesians may look healthier, but lack important nutrients⁹ in their diet.

Marion Roche is a specialist on adolescent health at Nutrition International. She said the poor nutritional¹⁰ knowledge among girls was unusual because nutrition among babies had improved in Indonesia.

"We need to give them the knowledge to make healthy choices," Roche said, adding that many girls believe that healthy means ‘not sick.’

I'm Dorothy Gundy.

Words in This Story

taboo² – n.not acceptable to talk about or do

carbohydrate⁷ – n. any one of various substances found in certain foods (such as bread, rice, and potatoes

advancement– n.forward movement; progress

1 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

2 taboo   

n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止

参考例句：

• The rude words are taboo in ordinary conversation.这些粗野的字眼在日常谈话中是禁忌的。
• Is there a taboo against sex before marriage in your society?在你们的社会里，婚前的性行为犯禁吗？

3 taboos   

禁忌( taboo的名词复数 )； 忌讳； 戒律； 禁忌的事物（或行为）

参考例句：

• She was unhorsed by fences, laws and alien taboos. 她被藩蓠、法律及外来的戒律赶下了马。
• His mind was charged with taboos. 他头脑里忌讳很多。

4 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

5 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

6 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

7 carbohydrate   

n.碳水化合物；糖类；(plural)淀粉质或糖类

参考例句：

• You should not have too much carbohydrate in your diet.你日常饮食中不该有过多碳水化合物。
• Cashew nuts are rich in carbohydrate.腰果含丰富碳水化合物。

8 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

9 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。