On World Obesity Day, the Department of Health (DOH), National Nutrition Council (NNC), Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), Department of Education (DepEd) – Bureau of Learners Support and Services (BLSS), Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PASOO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and World Health Organization (WHO) sound the alarm about the rising rate of obesity in the country.
With the theme “Let’s Talk About Obesity And…,” this year’s observance of World Obesity Day calls for a cohesive, cross-sector response to the obesity crisis. It aims to get everyone involved in shifting from single views to shared strategies in the prevention and management of overweight and obesity cases in the Philippines.
The 2021 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) of DOST-FNRI showed that 14 percent of children 5 to 10 years old, 13 percent of individuals 10 to 19 years old, and 40.2 percent of adults are living with overweight and obesity. In the past decade, the prevalence rates have increased across all age groups and if no action is taken, the overall rates for overweight and obesity are projected to further rise.
Obesity, defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health, is one side of the double burden of malnutrition. It is a major risk factor for chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke.
One of the Global Nutrition Targets for 2025 and one of the Global Targets for NCDs reduction is to stop the increasing obesity rates. It will not be feasible to eradicate malnutrition among children under the age of five or to reduce premature mortality from NCDs without addressing obesity.
“We must make the healthy choice the easy choice. There is a lot we can do, including restricting the marketing to children of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt, putting in place front-of-pack labeling, and promoting better access to affordable healthy foods. In our local government units, we need to make space for safe walking, cycling, and recreation. These steps we make will help us all to get healthy and stay healthy,” said Dr Rui Paulo de Jesus, WHO Representative to the Philippines.