PHOTO ESSAY: Obesity, a growing problem among Filipinos

Published August 4, 2012 3:40pm

While the problem of hunger is widely recognized in the Philippines, a lesser known problem is that of obesity. Around 27 out of 100 Filipino adults over 20 years old were overweight or obese in 2008, according to a study by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute or FNRI. This was 2.4 percent higher than in 2003. The GMA News TV documentary program ‘Front Row’ interviewed several Filipinos about what it’s like to live with obesity:

Jenny is 43 years old and weighs 370 pounds. She says she only started rapidly gaining weight when at age 40. She is so heavy that her husband has to assist her when going up the stairs. “Sana noon ko pa ginawa 'yung pagda-diet ko. Nadisplina ko sana yung sarili ko. Sana hindi na ako tumaba ng ganito,” she says.

Mark, 19 years old, weighs 400 pounds. He is married and has a daughter. Mark is determined to lose weight because he wants to see his daughter grow up. “Ang pinakakinatatakutan ko po ay 'yung mamatay kasi hindi ko po masusubaybayan ang anak ko pag namatay ako. ‘Yun na nga po yung parang call ko ngayon, namasubaybayan sya habang bata pa hanggang sa paglaki nya,” he says.

Obesity is a primary cause of heart disease, which is the primary cause of death in the Philippines. Mark’s doctor says that at any time, one of Mark’s veins may erupt and cause a heart attack. Because of Mark’s weight, the veins in his legs are blocked, causing blood to pool around his feet. This is called venous disease.

Jerry Soller weighed 150 pounds at age 10. At 21, he was hypertensive. At 25, he was diabetic. At 41, he had an enlarged heart.

“Magmula noong magkaisip hanggang sa edad kong 50, lahat ng aking damit ay pasadya. Never akong nagkaroon ng RTW (ready to wear),” shares Jerry, show in this photograph at the age of 40.

When he was 50 years old, Jerry underwent a process called ‘bariatric surgery’, a weight-loss surgery known to be an effective treatment for morbid obesity. “Yung bituka ko, nilagyan ng rubber band para siya lumiit. And then, lumiit sya, therefore ‘yung mga food na papasok, kaunti-kaunti na lang,” he explains. The procedure was a success. After the surgery, Jerry’s waist size went down from 58 inches to 40 inches. Now he enjoys life with his family. “I’m looking forward to growing up with my kids”, he says.—AA/PF, GMA News Related video: A clip of Front Row documentary 'Bigatin' "Front Row" airs every Saturday night at 8:40 PM on GMA News TV 11. Follow the program on Facebook and Twitter for updates about their upcoming documentaries.

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