IN the past, I ate noodles nearly every day,” said Venus giggling, when Tempo asked the reasons for her kidney problem. The 29-year-old woman added, “Basically, I ate mostly instant food and fast food.” Venus, not her real name, is a former university student who rented a room in Bandung. She had no choice but to eat fast-food noodles because she did not have time to cook.

The end result is disastrous: Venus was told by her doctor that she