Winning the fight against obesity

Obesity has become a massive public health concern in the Philippines, where close to two of every five adults aged 20 and 59 are either obese or overweight, putting them at great risk of contracting chronic lifestyle and potentially fatal diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Given this, Healthy Philippines Alliance’s (HPA) call for the Marcos administration to immediately make healthier food accessible to more Filipinos could not be more timely and necessary, indeed a matter of life and death.

The network of public health advocates underscored that the likelihood of Filipinos developing diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and chronic kidney disease had significantly risen, no thanks to poor dietary habits and the dire lack of physical activity that lead to obesity.

Increase in calorie intake

“Consuming an excessive amount of any food is detrimental to your health, leading to an increase in calorie intake and subsequent weight gain. Therefore, it is essential to be conscious of the calories required based on height and level of physical activity for adults and based on age for children,” said Jennina Duatin, a trustee of Diabetes Philippines, an HPA member-organization.

The group raised the alarm following the findings by the World Health Organization (WHO) that worldwide, obesity—a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30—among adults has more than doubled since 1990 and quadrupled among children and adolescents from 5 to 19 years old. Some two of every five adults or 43 percent were also found to be overweight or have a BMI of between 25 and 29.In the Philippines, the prevalence of overweight and obese adults skyrocketed by 166 percent: from 13 percent in 1990 to 34.6 percent in 2022. Among children and adolescents, it was even worse, surging by 356 percent from 3.2 percent in 1990 to 14.6 percent in 2022.

Unhealthy ultra-processed products

A major factor behind this dizzying increase is the easy access to unhealthy ultra-processed products that are cheaper and easier to prepare, and typically contain excessive amounts of sugar, sodium, and fats.

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement that the latest study “highlights the importance of preventing and managing obesity from early life to adulthood, through diet, physical activity, and adequate care, as needed.”

To achieve this, the WHO said governments and communities have to do the work together and that the private sector has to be made accountable for the “health impacts” of their products.

One way to do this, for example, is to mandate nutrition labeling so that consumers can make better-informed choices. By just looking at the packaging, they will know the total calorie content of what they are consuming, plus the breakdown in terms of fats and salt that can lead to a host of diseases if regularly consumed beyond the recommended levels.

Processed foods

The food industry could also be required to reduce the fat, sugar, and salt content of processed foods; ensure that healthy and nutritious choices are available and affordable to all consumers, said the WHO.

Maria Fatima Villena, board member of The Policy Center, another HPA member, said the government had already taken a step in the right direction when it raised the taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages in a bid to curb consumption.

One effective way to help prevent obesity is to follow the “Pinggang Pinoy” plate model of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, where half of the plate should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, a quarter filled with whole grains, and the rest a healthy source of meat, fish, legumes, or seafood.

“Moderation, variety, and balance in food choices are key factors in preventing overweight and obesity,” Duatin said.

Lifestyle disease

Parents and the school environment can do more than their fair share by encouraging their children to take up sports so that they won’t be glued to their gadgets. Schools and local communities could also consider investing in open spaces and community gardens that can be a ready source of cheap and nutritious food, to prevent the children and the families from reaching out for cheaper alternatives such as ultra-processed chips and instant noodles that are loaded with fat and salt.

It is also encouraging that according to Dr. Azucena Dayanghirang, executive director of the National Nutrition Council, the government does recognize the danger that runaway obesity poses to the nation, which can drain government resources because of the care for those who will get sick from this lifestyle disease.

Dayanghirang said during a forum for the observance of World Obesity Day on March 5 that the government was finalizing a multisectoral and multilevel strategic plan for addressing overweight and obesity for 2023 to 2028, which shall complement the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028.

Once finalized, this should be strictly implemented down to the household level, one that is government-led and private-sector supported to win the fight against obesity, which exacts a heavy toll not just on individuals, but on the government too.