Many Indonesians do not worry about obesity in children, considering a bit of extra weight a sign of good health in kids. That is what the parents of Arya Permana, a 10-year-old living in Karawang, West Java, thought when he was younger. Even after he started rapidly putting on weight at two years old, his parents thought he was fine.
His mother, Rokayah, told the Daily Mail, “He was fatter than my first son and other children in the village but we did not think it was a matter of concern. We were happy to see him fuller and considered him to be a happy, healthy child.”
“But it was only a few years later when he bloated and his weight went out of control, we realised he was suffering from a disorder and needed medical attention.”
Arya’s parents say his weight problem became much worse after he turned 8-years-old and at 10 years old he now weighs an incredible 192 kilograms (although several local media have also reported that he weighs 140 kg). On top of the obvious health risks this level of morbid obesity presents, the weight has already led to numerous debilitating consequences on the 10-year-old, who can barely walk more than a few steps without losing his breath or balance, and can therefore no longer attend school.
His parents claim that they feed their son normal portions but that he can eat up to five meals a day and is perpetually hungry. They took Arya to local doctors who said they could find no underlying medical condition causing his weight gain and just prescribed vitamins and medicines. Arya’s father, a farmer, said he had already spent more than he could afford on his son’s treatment and did not have the means to take him to a better hospital.
For now, his parents say he has been put on a strict diet consisting of just brown rice and are trying to get him to exercise more.
It is possible that there is more to Arya’s obesity than overeating. Doctors say that in cases of morbid obesity, genetic factors and medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism can sometimes also play a large role in weight gain. Hopefully diet and exercise can help him, but if Arya’s parents do not get access to medical experts who can diagnose the true causes for Arya’s weight gain are, it might not be enough.
