Consuming Fish Can Prevent Stunting

Malnutrition in children is still a worrying problem. Data from the 2022 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI) shows that the prevalence of stunting among toddlers in Indonesia is 21.6%. This figure is still far from the target set by the government, namely 14% in 2024.

Stunting is a condition where children experience suboptimal physical growth due to chronic malnutrition. Adequate nutritional intake is very important for children’s growth and development. Therefore, there is a need to increase nutritional interventions, one of which is consuming fish regularly. Check out the following review to find out the benefits of consuming fish in preventing stunting.

Benefits of Consuming Fish in Preventing Stunting

• Why Can Consuming Fish Prevent Stunting?

Fish is a source of high quality animal protein and contains various essential amino acids needed by the body. Protein plays an important role in supporting children’s physical growth, including bones, muscles and other body tissues. Amino acids are also needed to activate enzymes and growth hormones.

Regular consumption of fish, namely 2-3 times per week, can contribute to preventing stunting. In Indonesia, fish is a food source that is easy to obtain and the price is affordable. People can consume various types of nutritious local fish, such as mackerel, tuna, tuna and mackerel.

Children who are given the best nutritional intake in the first 1000 days of life, or from the time they are in the womb until the age of 2 years, have the potential not to become stunted. On the other hand, malnutrition during this period can increase the risk of stunting which has an impact on children’s quality of life.

• Fish Consumption in Indonesia

The national fish consumption figure (MMR) will reach 56.48 kilograms per capita in 2022. In that year, on average each individual consumed 56.48 kilograms of fish in one year. This data includes various types of fish, both freshwater fish and marine fish.

However, this number still needs to be increased. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has set the national MMR target in 2024 to be 62.05 kilograms per capita. The increase in fish consumption shows that people are increasingly aware of the importance of adequate nutritional intake, so that it can prevent stunting.

• The Role of the KKP in Stunting Prevention Efforts

KKP has the GEMARIKAN program (Fish Eating Popularization Movement) which aims to increase fish consumption for the Indonesian people. It is hoped that this program can encourage people to use fish as the main source of protein to meet nutritional needs. To support the implementation of this program, cooperation is needed involving various components of society, including families.

Families have an important role in supporting the GEMARIKAN program. Serve delicious and attractive fish in the daily menu so that children like to eat fish. Choose fish and seafood that comes from sustainable sources to support fisheries sustainability. Apart from that, monitor your child’s growth regularly so you can detect potential stunting early.

Fish consumption plays an important role in preventing stunting. That is why, every individual needs to consume fish regularly, especially pregnant women and children. Consuming local fish can also support the sustainability of fisheries so that fish remains an affordable food source for Indonesian people in the future.

Aruna invites the entire community to increase fish consumption in the family to support children’s growth and development. With regular consumption of fish, Indonesian children will grow up to be healthy, intelligent and not stunted.

Let’s eat fish so that Indonesian children are free from stunting!