Obesity rate high among Filipinos amid COVID-19 pandemic, says health official

Health officials reported an increase in obesity rate among both adults and children in the country in the past two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the media briefing on Tuesday, the Department of Health (DOH) Officer in Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said this was reported by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

"So, syempre ang main precursors or reasons natin for this increase during this time of the pandemic was lahat tayo na-lockdown," she said.

She was referring to the lockdown imposed by the government that was part of efforts to curtail the spread of the disease.

As a result, Vergeire said, the people did not have the opportunity to go out of their house and do exercises. Some people, she added, were confined to small areas with no space for physical activities.

At this time, as people opted to do purchases online, it was easier to have food delivered to homes.

The quality of food has gone unchecked and many, children included, would order fastfood online.

Obesity, Vergeire underscored, "is a precursor to diabetes, heart disease, to stroke at iba't-ibang non-communicable diseases."

"Obesity or ang pagiging overweight ng isang bata o ng isang matanda, unang-una makikita natin yan sa choices ng food that we eat," she said.

The health official advised that to avoid obesity, one should monitor the quality of food that is consumed.

"So kailangan laging healthy po yung pagkain, kailangan yung mga nanay monitoring po yung ating intake ng ating mga bata,” she said.

Mothers, she said, should monitor the food intake of the children especially on calories, fatty and salty foods, among others.

It is also important to do physical exercises.

"This is a comprehensive strategy that not just focus on the diet of an individual but has to do with all of the factors that affects a person to become obese," she said.

“So andyan na po yung diet, physical activity. Nandyan din po yung ibang aspeto ng pamumuhay katulad ng pagtulog ng maaga, katulad po ng paggawa ng ibat-ibang bisyo, katulad ng pag-inom ng alcholic drinks, ng paninigarilyo at iba pa po," she added.

According to the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) 2021 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS), the obesity rates among children aged 0 to 5 are at 3.9 percent, while children aged 5 to 10 are at 14 percent.

Meanwhile, 10% of adults aged 20 to 59 are obese. For those aged 60 and above, 6.2 percent are obese, and 11.8 percent have chronic energy deficiency.

The ENNS surveyed 141,189 Filipinos in 37 provinces and cities between July 2021 and June 2022 to quantify Filipinos' health and food security conditions at the height of the pandemic. -- Sherylin Untalan/BAP, GMA Integrated News