JAKARTA – Does palm oil consumption cause obesity? Let’s find the answer to that question by reading the following facts.
Currently, obesity has become a serious health issue which draws global attention. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) has categorized obesity as a global epidemic that should be tackled soon. It is because obesity, which is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in human body, is associated with various chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular, diabetes mellitus, stroke, and various types cancer diseases.
A number of studies (Murase et al., 2001; Yusuf at al., 2005) show that there is a strong relation between consumption of saturated fat with obesity. Based on the study result, palm oil contains a high proportion of saturated fatty acids (Table 5.1) and again associated as the trigger of obesity and cardiovascular (Chong and Ng, 1991; Sowers, 2003). But besides saturated fatty acids, the palm oil also contains a relatively high content of unsaturated fatty acids, so that generally fatty acids from palm oil tend to be unsaturated fatty acids.
Considered from the definition of the WHO, obesity is an over accumulation of fat in human body, as a result of imbalance of energy intake with the energy expenditure within a long period of time. The palm oil is a source of fat which plays an important role in human body as a source of energy, supplying the essential fatty acids to human body, functioning to absorb vitamin A, D, E, K, and providing important substrate for synthesis of metabolically active compounds, such as steroid hormones, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone (MPOC, 2016; Olabiyi et al., 2021).
But attributing the consumption of palm oil directly to obesity is an exaggeration. Obesity is caused by many factors, such as dietary habits, activities, and lifestyles. It is also in line with the study of Muhamad et al. (2018) which has combined various studies and concluded that there is no clear and undeniable evidences to prove that there is a strong relation between consumption of palm oil and obesity.
The more important thing to tackle obesity is not by “scapegoating” the saturated fatty acids contained in palm oil. Balancing energy and choosing healthy fats to replace simple carbohydrates and refined sugar is the key to prevent overweight and obesity.
Actually, the palm oil is an alternative diet to mitigate the risk of obesity as it is free trans-fat and contains no cholesterol. (*)
Source: Mitos & Fakta Kelapa Sawit –4th Edition | (Mitos 5-12)
