Study: More Filipinos getting obese

National

A STUDY showed that around 38 percent of Filipino adults have a high Body Mass Index (BMI), which is an indicative of being overweight or obese.

According to the World Obesity Atlas, the figure will rise to 34.12 million by 2030. Worse, the Philippines is not prepared for it.

The number of obese Filipino men is expected to triple from under one million in 2010 to over three million by 2030. Likewise, the number of obese Filipino women is anticipated to more than double, rising from 1.5 million to over four million within the same time frame.

The report also noted the lack of global preparedness, citing that only 7 percent of countries have enforced sufficient health system plans to handle obesity. Two-thirds of countries lack even the most basic approach guidelines needed to mitigate the growing rates.

The American Heart Association defines BMI as a measure of body fat based on an individual's weight and height, employed as a screening tool to assess weight status and associated health risks. A BMI of 30 kg/m² or higher is classified as obese.

The Department of Health (DOH) attributes the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among Filipinos to a confluence of factors, containing personal lifestyle preferences and deficit in supportive environments that promote healthy behaviors such as sufficient physical activity and rightful nutrition.

"We need to make healthier food options in communities, schools, and workplaces more available, affordable, and accessible to all Filipinos, and we must make our public infrastructure such as parks, roads, and pathways more conducive to physical activity and active mobility." Assistant Health Secretary Beverly Lorraine C. Ho said in an Inquirer report.

The global scope of the obesity crisis is equally concerning. Worldwide, obesity rates have been escalating rapidly. By 2030, an estimated 1.13 billion individuals globally will be living with obesity, depicting a doubling of the figures recorded in 2010.

The World Obesity Federation is urgently advocating for governments worldwide to embrace a comprehensive, whole-of-society approach to fight obesity. This method should contain reinforcing health systems, raising food regulations, and building environments that stimulate physical activity.(Ana Grace Cabradilla, BiPSU Comm Intern)