At
the age of two Aldi
Rizal shocked the world after being pictured chain-smoking cigarettes.
Two years on he's now a normal, cheeky five-year-old - and, while he's
managed to kick the habit, he now has another addiction. Food! He became
an international media sensation when he was discovered in
a poor village in Sumatra, Indonesia, puffing on a cigarette while
riding his tricycle. More pictures and the rest of the story after the
break
The outcry led to the Indonesian
government launching a campaign to tackle the problem of children
smoking and organising special rehabilitation treatment to help Aldi
quit. Aldi was taken for
play therapy sessions in the capital Jakarta for two weeks to take his
mind off his 40-a-day habit and learn to be a normal toddler for the
first time. A new
documentary series revisits the family two years on to find out how Aldi
is getting on and reveals he has managed to stay off the cigarettes,
but is still dangerously unhealthy.
But I feel annoyed when they refer to
him as 'the smoking kid'. It makes me feel like they are accusing me of
being a bad parent.' Mr and Mrs Rizal decided
to take Aldi to a nutritionist for medical checks and now they've been
given advice on how to put him on a healthier diet so he can start to
lose some weight.'Aldi
is
very overweight, his weight doesn't match his age,' said nutritionist
Fransisca Dewi. 'His ideal weight is 17kg to 19kg. He's 24kg already. 'I
think it is difficult for them. The mother says Aldi is a spoilt kid.
If Diana wants to forbid him eating, it will be hard.
'She
will need the cooperation from the entire household. One obvious thing
is they let him have too much condensed milk. He drinks three cans a day
and eats too many carbohydrates.' Paediatric
specialist Dr William Nawawi is also concerned that smoking at an early
age has made Aldi more likely to suffer weight issues. He explained:
'Nicotine can increase the endocrine hormone in the body. This condition
can cause resistance to insulin.
'The blood will not be able to break glucose from food. This will make Aldi become bigger and bigger.'
Now, Aldi is back at home in his fishing village and is on a strict diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and smaller portions. Mrs Rizal must also persuade Aldi's siblings and the rest of the family not to give in and provide him with junk food when she is not around. Doctors hope that if Aldi can lose around half a stone to a stone, his weight will eventually even out as he starts to grow taller. It is thought one-third of children in Indonesia try smoking before the age of ten. The Government has launched efforts to tackle the problem.
Now, Aldi is back at home in his fishing village and is on a strict diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and smaller portions. Mrs Rizal must also persuade Aldi's siblings and the rest of the family not to give in and provide him with junk food when she is not around. Doctors hope that if Aldi can lose around half a stone to a stone, his weight will eventually even out as he starts to grow taller. It is thought one-third of children in Indonesia try smoking before the age of ten. The Government has launched efforts to tackle the problem.
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