Health Agency Encourages People to Implement Healthy Lifestyle and Comply with Health Protocols

Jakarta Health Agency encourages people to always implement healthy lifestyle movement (Germas) and comply with health protocols in order to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Dietary pattern should be adjusted to daily needs based on activities carried out and as much as possible to avoid excessive food intake

Jakarta Health Agency's Disease Prevention and Control Division Head, Dwi Octavia said, Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM) which aims to reduce COVID-19 transmission has made changes to most people's habits, including decrease in physical activity and changes in diet.

Study shows that sedentary lifestyle can lower body's immunity, as well as increasing the risk of contracting COVID-19.

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"This pandemic has also made majority of people with chronic disease are reluctant to control their health in health facilities, that resulted in delays in taking medication thus their disease becomes uncontrollable," she explained, Thursday (1/6).

According to her, one of easy things that must become a habit during PPKM is to be active at home. There are various exercises that can be done at home, such as aerobic with zumba, HIIT, jumping rope, or light exercise such as yoga or pilates.

"Dietary pattern should be adjusted to daily needs based on activities carried out and as much as possible to avoid excessive food intake," she added.

Based on Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) data in 2018, diabetes mellitus, also known as diabetes, is found in 10 percent of adult population, while obesity in 30 percent of adults.

"Pre-diabetes condition in adults is found in 35 percent of urban communities, while 45 percent in rural communities," she continued.

Meanwhile, Dicky Levenus Tahapary from FKUI-RSCM Endocrine Metabolic Division said that relation between obesity and COVID-19 has been widely studied. Obesity increases inflammation in body cells and insulin resistance, which is a condition that causes increase in blood sugar levels that makes a person suffer from diabetes mellitus.

"Researcher Alice Tamara and her colleagues say that obesity has been shown to increase mortality and complication in obese COVID-19 patients.

He said that WHO also announced in its infographic that obesity can increase severity of COVID-19 by seven times.

Although until now there is not enough evidence to explain relation between diabetes mellitus and COVID-19 transmission, however, research conducted by Harbuwono in 2021 explained that diabetes mellitus not only increases severity of COVID-19 patient's condition, but also increase the risk of death.

"COVID-19 in people with diabetes tends to cause more severe symptoms. Subjects with obesity and diabetes mellitus are vulnerable groups so they should be prioritized to get vaccinated," he asserted.