05/09/2026
๐๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ: ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ผ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ
Obesity is a growing public health concern that affects people across all ages and communities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ๐ญ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ worldwide were living with obesity in 2022, while adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990. Among children and adolescents aged 5โ19 years, more than 390 million were overweight in 2022, including over 160 million living with obesity
In the Philippines, overweight and obesity have also become important nutrition concerns. The Hospital at Maayo (2021) similarly emphasizes that obesity may increase the risk of conditions such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and certain cancers. Data from the 2023 National Nutrition Survey, ๐ฏ๐ต.๐ด% ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐น๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฌโ๐ฑ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ using the Asia-Pacific BMI classification, while ๐ญ๐ณ.๐ฏ% ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐. Combined, 57.1% were overweight or obese highlighting the need for stronger prevention and management efforts (DOH, NNS, & WHO, 2024).
Prevention begins with establishing healthy habits throughout the life course. In the Philippine setting, these principles can be guided by the 10 Kumainments, the National Nutrition Council's simplified version of the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos. In particular, ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ก๐ผ. ๐ญ, โ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฎโ๐-๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ด๐ธ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป,โ encourages dietary variety, while ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ก๐ผ. ๐ฏ, "๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐," promotes daily consumption of vegetables and fruits. ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ก๐ผ. ๐ด, โ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐-๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐, ๐บ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐,โ encourages moderation of foods high in salt, fat, and sugar.
Physical activity is an essential component of obesity prevention and is reflected in ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ก๐ผ. ๐ต, โ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด,โ and ๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ก๐ผ. ๐ญ๐ฌ: โ๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ธ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ผ. ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ธ; ๐ต๐๐๐ฎ๐ด ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐น๐๐ผโ For adults, the World Health Organization recommends 150โ300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or 75โ150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination of both. Adults are also encouraged to engage in muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days per week. For children and adolescents, WHO recommends an average of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day across the week (WHO, 2020) is another important part of obesity prevention. Regular movement supports overall health and helps maintain physical fitness, while reducing prolonged sedentary behavior can provide additional benefits. Healthy sleep habits and supportive family and community environments are also important components of a healthy lifestyle (WHO, 2025).
This Obesity Prevention Awareness Week, let us choose health over stigma, prevention over judgment, and collective action over blame. Small, sustainable changes supported by healthier homes, schools, communities, and food environments can contribute to a healthier future for everyone.
Health is not a number on a scale. Prevention starts with informed choices, supportive environments, and collective action.
Letโs promote health, not stigma. ๐
๐๏ธ | Shane Plaza, SND
๐จ | Crestine Rose Quiao, SND
References
Department of Science and TechnologyโFood and Nutrition Research Institute. (2024). 2023 National Nutrition Survey: Overview and methodology. https://enutrition.fnri.dost.gov.ph/
National Nutrition Council. (n.d.). Know your Ten (10) Kumainments for healthier way of living. https://nnc.gov.ph/mindanao-region/know-your-ten-10-kumainments-for-healthier-way-of-living/
The Hospital at Maayo. (n.d.). How to avoid obesity in Filipino adults during the Ber months. https://thehospitalatmaayo.com/blog/how-to-avoid-obesity-adults
World Health Organization. (2025, March 4). Stronger food policies needed to combat obesity in the Philippines. https://www.who.int/philippines/news/detail/04-03-2025-stronger-food-policies-needed-to-combat-obesity-in-the-philippines
World Health Organization. (2025, December 8). Obesity and overweight. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
World Health Organization. (2026, January 26). Healthy diet. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
World Health Organization. (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128
