5 most common holiday health concerns and how to avoid them

TAGAYTAY CITY – With Christmas less than a month away, the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday advised the public to take better care of their health and be on the lookout for the five most common health concerns that Filipinos usually experience during the holidays.

In a media conference, Dr. Emmanuel Dimal, chief of the Nutrition Information and Education Division of the National Nutrition Council (NNC), said Filipinos often have higher health risks during the Christmas season, which is marked by parties and celebrations.

He said data points to many Filipinos experiencing weight gain and high blood pressure after the merry-making in December.

“Why [do] we overeat during the holidays? We overeat because [of] the love for food and celebration… Because as a Filipino, food is part of our culture. Hindi tayo makikilala bilang Pilipino kung hindi parte ng kultura natin ang pagkain, (We cannot be known as Filipinos if food is not part of our culture),” he said.

“Nagiging mindful po ba tayo when we eat? Nagpe-pay attention po ba tayo to what, when, and how you eat? (Are we being mindful when we eat? Are we paying attention to what, when, and how you eat?) [We need to be] mindful about balanced eating,” Dimal added.

He cited a 2017 study that revealed that adults gain an average of 0.4 kilograms to 0.9 kilograms during the Yuletide season.

In separate studies in 2019 and 2022, there were higher cases of hypertension and high cholesterol after the holidays mainly due to the increased intake in fatty, salty, and sugary foods.

At times, this may lead to the Holiday Heart Syndrome (HHS), in which patients often experience a mix of different symptoms due to overindulgence during the holidays.

Ahead of the holiday rush, the DOH listed the five most common health concerns experienced by Filipinos during this time of the year.

Weight gain

Uncontrolled food intake paired with a lack of physical exertion during long holidays often leads to excess calories and weight gain.

Calories, or the amount of energy that is stored in food and drinks we consume, are what adds weight to an individual if he or she is unable to burn the calories through exercise.

Individuals often fail to check the calorie content of food that they consume. Overeating would lead to excessive weight gain that can snowball into bigger health risks.

“The problem isn’t the big meal, but rather the repeated indulgence of taking such food. Parang [kapag] pwede pa, pag masarap, konti na lang hanggang ma-experience natin na nagsusuman na tayo (It’s like if it’s still allowable, if it tastes really good, then it will only take a short while before our clothes start to get tight),” Dimal said.

In 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against the risk of extra fat in the body, as excess fat or obesity often led to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and some cancers.

However, Dimal said weight gain is preventable with just the right discipline.

“Ang always [na] message natin is [to] just control yung intake po,” he shared.

(Our message is always to control our intake.)

Holiday heart syndrome

The DOH earlier described HHS as a condition caused by excessive alcohol consumption, stress, lack of rest, and eating too much salty or fatty foods that may increase blood pressure.

In Jnauary this year, the DOH said over 300 people suffered from a stroke during the 2024 Christmas holidays.

In addition to overindulgence, HHS is also tied with binge-drinking, which leads to dilated cardiomyopathy and causes arrhythmia in the heart.

High blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases

Excess intake of sodium and saturated fats also increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks.

“The popular Noche Buena na kinakain natin every holiday like the ham, ‘di mawawala ‘yan… The lechon, the embotido, the fried foods, and mga lahat ng pasta… Hindi tayo aware na these foods are high in sodium and saturated fats, which technically increase your blood pressure, which stress[es] your heart,” said Dimal.

(The popular Noche Buena that we eat every holiday like ham will never disappear… The lechon, the embotido, the fried foods, and all the pastas… We are not aware that these foods are high in sodium and saturated fats, which technically increase your blood pressure, which stress[es] your heart.)

“Ayaw po natin ma-stroke,” he added.

(We don’t want to get a stroke.)

Dimal noted that fatty food and excess sodium impeded that heart’s function to pump blood.

“For people with hypertension or existing heart condition, repeated indulgence increase the risk of existing cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke,” he said.

He reminded Filipinos to remember to take their maintenance medicine regularly and on time, even if it’s not the holiday season.

“That is a health-seeking behavior… The key message is not to discourage everyone not to celebrate, but to be mindful of the food we eat during holidays,” Dimal said.

Elevated blood sugar

Eating too much may also cause sugar in your body to spike.

“[May] mga tumataas po ang sugar because of high consumption ng mga sugary foods… ([There are] people who get elevated sugar because of high consumption of sugary foods…) Holiday meals [are] high in sugar and carbohydrates can raise blood sugar… Because carbohydrates are sugar,” Dimal shared.

He said the increased intake of holiday carbohydrates paired with sugary desserts and drinks will double the typical sugar intake of individuals, especially those with diabetes or pre-diabetes and are at risk of complications.

“A repeated spike can actually increase the risk of long-term complication, especially for those persons or individuals [that have] diabetes,” he said.

“Hindi nakakamatay ang diabetes. Ang ikakamatay mo is the complication of diabetes,” he added.

(Diabetes is not deadly. What you would die of is the complication of diabetes.)

He noted that elevated blood sugar can be avoided by taking one's maintenance medications regularly and an active lifestyle.

High cholesterol and triglycerides

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) said low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol raises the risk of heart disease and stroke, by building up plaque along the walls of your blood vessels.

Triglycerides are fat content in the blood, which further increases cardiovascular risks if paired with a high LDL.

Dimal said the increase of cholesterol and triglycerides are harder to flag as it is only detected by testing one’s blood for lipid profile.

“We cannot assume data. Data must be real. Once na, we conduct a routinary blood test, that's the time na makikita natin na may walang problema, (Once we conduct a routinary blood test, that’s the time you will see that there is no problem),” he said.

A rise in cardiovascular events is usually observed during the holidays due to the increased intake of rich, fatty food.

“Repeated overindulgence or the pre-existing condition can increase the risk of heart disease over time… The message is all about moderation. Kakain lang po tayo ng tama at wasto, (We just have to eat properly),” Dimal said.

Digestive discomfort and bloating

Bloating is described by the John Hopkins Medical Center as a condition in which a person’s becomes feeling too tight and full of gas. This is most commonly caused by constipation and being too full.

This is a common occurrence caused by overeating.

“Whenever we feel super full po talaga, [it is] very uncomfortable, and that [is] what we call digestive discomfort, often caused by eating too fast… Ganoon ang ginagawa natin. (That is what we do.) It is normal. With this activity [that we do], we always mix our foods,” Dimal noted.

He added that bloating is felt by all individuals, regardless of age or comorbidities.

“Kumakain tayo ng sobrang mabilis kaya nakakaranas po tayo ng what we call discomfort. (We eat too fast so we experience what we call discomfort.) Again, overeating, eating quickly, or combining very fatty and sugary foods, increase the likelihood of the symptoms even in a healthy individual,” he said.

How to avoid bloating or digestive discomfort? Avoid eating and eat slowly, Dimal added. — JMA, GMA Integrated News