Around 27 million Filipinos are overweight and obese, the latest survey of the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) showed.
For the past two decades, overweight and obesity among adults has almost doubled from 20.2 percent in 1998 to 36.6 percent in 2019, the Department of Health (DOH) said in a news release.
Similarly, the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among adolescents have more than doubled from 4.9 percent in 2003 to 11.6 percent in 2018.
If no action is taken, overall rates of overweight and obesity will continue to rise, the DOH said.
It is projected that more than 30 percent of Filipino adolescents will be overweight and obese by 2030 (Landscape Analysis on Overweight and Obesity in Children, Philippines).
This year’s World Obesity Day on March 4, with the theme “Everybody Needs to Act,” was a call for action at the local, national, and global levels to tackle the increasing rates of obesity, reduce the stigma faced by people living with obesity, and improve the systems that contribute to obesity around the world.
In the Philippines, multi-sectoral and multi-level actions are being undertaken as response to this call.
It is developing the National Policy on Addressing Overweight and Obesity to provide directions and guidance to all stakeholders.
It aims to curb obesity using population-based approaches for prevention, regulatory mechanisms to influence the food environment, management of existing cases and research and surveillance.
It considers double-duty actions that address both under- and overnutrition.
The Department of Health (DOH), National Nutrition Council (NNC), Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (Pasoo), Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP), the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) raise the alarm on growing obesity in the Philippines on the occasion of World Obesity Day.
Obesity affects 800 million individuals globally, placing them more at risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers. It has also emerged as a major risk factor for severe disease during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Once considered a problem primarily in high-income and developed countries, it is now a rising health problem in low- and middle- income countries including the Philippines.
According to NNC’s Executive Director Assistant Secretary Azucena M. Dayanghirang, “The NNC coordinates the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition [PPAN] which includes the Overweight and Obesity Prevention and Management Program to promote healthy environments in priority settings including communities, schools, and workplaces.”
Dayanghirang said the NNC Governing Board recently approved the Philippine Nutrient Profile Model, which will provide guidance in determining food and beverages that can be marketed to children and as the basis for front-of-pack labelling of food products.
“This tool is intended to influence food manufacturers to produce and reformulate to offer healthier food to consumers,” she added.
The NNC will continue coordinating efforts among stakeholders to effectively address the growing concern on obesity through the formulation of the successor PPAN for 2023-2028.
From the private sector, Pasoo and the NCP promote research and multi-professional collaboration in the field of prevention and management of overweight and obesity.
Local government units are also leading the way in promoting healthy eating and physical activity among individuals and communities.
Quezon City passed Executive Order 16 S-2021 titled, “Quezon City Healthy Public Food Procurement Policy,” which sets nutrition criteria for food procured and served by the city to increase the availability of healthy food among the local constituents.
Similarly, Iloilo City implemented an urban health initiative to promote active transport and enhance physical activity in the city. It is one of the awardees of the Bike Lane Award of the Land Transportation Office.
To strategically address the growing problem of obesity in the Philippines, the DOH, NNC and national partners recommend to take the following actions:
Implement policies, legislation and interventions to promote physical activity, including active transport and promotion of green, blue, and open spaces in communities and workplaces;
Strengthen and sustain appropriate social and behavior change communication on healthy diet and physical activity;
Implement a package of policies and interventions to promote, protect, and support infant and young child nutrition, especially in the first 1,000 days of life to prevent stunting and reduce risk for children to become obese in their later lives;
Develop a strategy with corresponding funds, human resources, and accountability mechanisms, including empowering the health system with dedicated programs on obesity across the life stage;
Improve data, monitoring, and enforcement of laws and introduce new legislation on marketing and labeling of food products;
Provide subsidies to farmers and fisherfolk and increase access to nutritious food;
Use social protection programs such as 4Ps to improve access to healthy food, especially in times of disasters; and
Promote healthy school food environments for children.
The Unicef said: “Children with unhealthy diets who take little exercise are increasingly prone to depression, underperforming at school and learning, and are at greater risk of debilitating disease like diabetes later in life. Covid-19 poses an additional threat to children with obesity.”
“They are more likely to be hospitalized and have a higher likelihood of severe disease. We must overcome an obesity-promoting environment that entices children with junk food and offers few opportunities for physical activity,” said Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, Unicef Representative in the Philippines.
“Adequate nutrition is a fundamental human right for every child and a pathway to a healthier future,” she said.
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons