When I first saw these photos I couldn’t help but think ‘someone should put his parents in prison’ for child abuse.
Ardi was pictured as a toddler living in Sumatra, Indonesia, puffing away as he sat on his tricycle (above). These images were shared far and wide and caused such a commotion that the Indonesian government was prompted to take a stand against childhood smoking.
They arranged for Ardi to have special rehabilitation treatment to help him quit his 40-a-day addiction. Ardi managed to kick the cigarette habit but began craving something else to replace it. Food became Ardi’s clutch and he became dangerously overweight, as you can see on the next page.
Aldi’s addiction to fatty foods saw him gorging on junk, and his habits even stretched to him drinking three cans of condensed milk a day.
Ardi’s long struggle with addiction came to an end when he visited a nutritionist to get his weight in check and learned to eat a balanced diet. Today, he is looking and feeling much better.
