ONCE in a while, the national consciousness is jolted by reports from international agencies with still unsullied reputation such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that confirm what we have been noticing all along.
This one is about food, diet and young Filipinos’ eating habits. A recent UNICEF study showed that the present eating habits of Filipinos are driving a high prevalence of overweight cases and obesity, with a telling effect on the health of the youth.
Through a scientific survey, the UN body found out that Filipino children are eating fewer fruits and vegetables and more sugar, salty and fatty food products, the kind that we call processed. The study was focused on the “lived experiences” of children from Catbalogan City and Gandara in Samar, Godod in Zamboanga del Norte, Mondragon, Valenzuela City in Metro Manila, and Zamboanga.
Citing the World Health Organization’s 2015 school-based student health survey in the Philippines, the report noted that 74 percent of children aged 13 to 15 years consume less than three portions of vegetables daily, while 28 percent drink at least one soft drink a day.
“Poor diets are contributing to a triple burden of malnutrition with undernutrition, in the form of poor growth and micronutrient deficiencies, co-existing with increasing rates of overweight,” the UNICEF said.
‘Visit any public place in Metro Manila, Cebu and other urban centers and one could not help but notice that our young citizens are getting overweight and fatter than their seniors two or three decades ago.’
Malnutrition, according to UNICEF Philippines representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, is a “serious violation” of a child’s right and could likewise result in long-term consequences for a kid’s health, development, and well-being. “Children need a varied and nutritious diet for their growth and development and caregivers need support to provide their children with a healthy diet,” she said.
The government is well aware of the problem of malnutrition among children, which is compounded by the current food environment in the country where the mall-and-fastfood culture dominates.
The campaign to eat healthy foods, pushed intermittently by the government, private sector and schools, is acceptable to all but remains behind the aggressive marketing campaign of fast-food outlets dishing out hamburgers and fries. Visit any public place in Metro Manila, Cebu and other urban centers and one could not help but notice that our young citizens are getting overweight and fatter than their seniors two or three decades ago.
Raising children not just involves good nutrition, but also education, space to play and exercise, access to safe water and hygienic environments, financial security, adequate diets, and many more.
Because of various reasons, Filipino parents might not provide all of these things, but they are well advised to put nutrition on top of the list.
