Obesity has increased by 46% among Filipinos

"According to our most recent National Nutrition Survey, 46 percent of our population is obese (46 percent of our population is obese)." "It's concerning because obesity is a risk factor for noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease," DOST-FNRI director Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa said at a press conference on Thursday, November 9.

According to the DOST-FNRI's 2021 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS), 46 percent of Filipinos are obese. Obesity is caused by bad eating habits and a lack of regular physical activity.

“This is more on physical inactivity, at saka lack of physical activity, so there should really be a balance between the physical activity and food intake,” Agdeppa said.

“If snacks, iniisip natin agad, ‘yung bibingka, white bread, tapos may ham (When we think of snacks, we go for high-calorie foods such as bibingka, white bread, with ham, when ideally)… it should not be that complicated,” she added.

She stated that a balance must be achieved between how much food to consume, which foods to eat, and how much time to spend exercising or participating in physical activities.

Apart from being overweight, Agdeppa stated that they have long advocated against undernutrition, stunting, and vitamin insufficiency.

According to DOST-FNRI, uncontrolled food intake can impact Body Mass Index (BMI), which can lead to obesity and overweight even among Filipino youths.

"The DOST-FNRI recommends maintaining good health and preventing obesity through proper diet and regular moderate physical activity to achieve normal body weight," the organization stated in a statement on its website.

In an earlier report, Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) expressed concern over the rising obesity rate in Davao Region.

Obesity among children under the age of five is 2.7 percent in the region, with Davao City having the highest prevalence of 3.2 percent and Davao del Sur having the lowest rate of 1.5 percent.

Obesity is 7.2 percent in the Davao Region among those aged 10 to 19, with Davao City having the highest prevalence of 9.2 percent and Davao del Sur having the lowest incidence of 5.6 percent.

In the age group of 10 to 19, the obesity rate is 7.2 percent for the Davao Region, with Davao City having the highest rate of 9.2 percent and Davao del Sur at 5.6 percent.