Routine Drinking Water Early Help Maintain Healthy Kidney

Number of patients with kidney disease in Indonesia is second only to heart disease based on data from the Ministry of Health. With a growth of almost 100 percent from 2014 to 2015, kidney disease would need to get serious attention.

With this background, Indonesia Hydration Working Group (IHWG) Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia with Danone Aqua launch a movement Come Drinking Water (Amir) to educate society about the importance of healthy living, including adequate hydration. The movement was also a part in order to meet the world kidney day is celebrated every March 9.

Chairman IHWG Wiweko Budi said the summit the world has conducted a study on hydration and relation with non-infectious diseases. Diseases such as diabetes and kidney failure associated with hydration pattern since childhood.

"The United States is crazy consuming beverages with sweeteners and it is dangerous. We must change the pattern of hydration even from the children," said the obstetrician at SDN 12 Rawamangun, East Jakarta, some time ago.


Budi said, the people of Indonesia need to raise awareness in adopting a healthy hydration. For children aged about 12 years, the minimum water requirement of 1,500 to 2,000 milliliters per day. The amount is equivalent to six to eight glasses per day.

Budi said, that number should be increased, if the children do activities that a lot of sweat. As for adults, the body needs at least eight glasses of water a day, or about two liters. "Filling the need for hydration with water. Not with sweetened beverages," he said.

Budi admitted that there are several ways to detect dehydration in the body. The characteristics of the easiest, he said, is when the lips and the skin starts to dry out. "So it should be taught to drink enough to prevent dehydration," he said.

Amir movement also created cartoon characters to educate children about the importance of drinking water every day. "We tried to create a character who loved children. The character was named Amir easy for children to remember," said Budi.