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Govt urged to make healthy food more affordable amid rising case of obesity

A health expert urges the government to make healthier food options more affordable and accessible to address the growing obesity crisis in the Philippines. Speaking at the '8 Billion Reasons to Act on Obesity: Stronger Heart, Healthier Kidneys, Better Diabetes Control' event in Manila on March 10, 2026, Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus, president of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP), said that while obesity was more prevalent among wealthier Filipinos—accounting for 71.8 percent of cases—low-income communities also develop obesity because calorie-dense foods are often more affordable.

VIDEO BY ALLEN LIMOS

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Transcript
00:00Ah, siguro meron lang ako isha-share na data kasi since the data you mentioned talked about the poorest versus
00:08the ah, hingi lang ako ng permiso para makapag-share ng slide. Teka, saglit lamang ha.
00:16Para makita ko lang, dito sa Pilipinas, saan ba naroon yung mga mayroong sobrang bigat na sinasabi natin based on
00:27the most recent survey. At ito ang datos na galing dun sa DOSTFNRI na latest survey.
00:36Okay, if I can show this. Yan. Kitang-kita natin na marami pa rin doon sa mabigat sa ating bansa
00:47ay nalo sa pinakamayayaman pa rin.
00:50Reaches, 71.8% of the richest, if you look at yung wealth quintile, ang mayroong obesity. And the poorest,
01:0240.9%.
01:03So, hindi natatanggal yung magkakaroon ng obesity sa ating bansa. And therefore, even if you are not wealthy, you develop
01:15obesity. Why?
01:16Kasi yung mga pagkain na bibili mo na affordable ay high in calories pero low in nutrition.
01:27Yung mga ating mga noodles, no? Maraming maalat doon. Naglalagay tayo ng oil doon.
01:35Mataas in carbohydrate in tank yun. Kasi yun nakakabusog.
01:39Pero, walang ka makakuha masyadong nutrient doon, no?
01:44So, and therefore, as far as we are concerned in the medical field, of course, we always advocate sana healthier
01:52yung food natin, ano?
01:55Kagaya nung sana nga kung pwede kulay, salad. Pero, sino nakaka-accord ng salad sa mga may hirap?
02:02Kumunta ka nga lang sa mall, magsasalan ka, napakamahal ng salad, din, iba?
02:07So, it really takes a government effort to make sure that the healthier foods are the ones more available and
02:16affordable to our lower income countrymen.
02:21So, aside from full government support, no? May mga municipalities.
02:26So, lately, may isa pong press call kami ginawa about healthy habits.
02:32And, meron pong mga municipalities na nagsimula pong sila.
02:36So, again, sometimes pagka meron pong initiative na malilihin in certain areas,
02:42and then it begins to create a ripple effect throughout.
02:47Even though it's not a law, these are policies that we can advocate.
02:51So, itong particular municipality, ang ginawa naman po nila,
02:55para po dun sa mga tindahan na malapit sa eskwelahan,
03:01hindi po nila inaalaw yung mga tindahan magbenta ng mga chichirya
03:06na magaganda ang itsura para ma-entice yung mga batang bumili.
03:11So, I think it's a good advocacy kasi lahat ng mga dinadaanan ng mga bata pa-uwi,
03:19hindi pong pwedeng magbenta ng unhealthy snacks na medyo maganda at makulay yung itsura ng packaging.
03:27So, I think when we start advocacy, we begin small.
03:30So, it doesn't have to be full on alone.
03:33Pero pagka nagsisimula sa mga maliliit na bagay na yan,
03:37na-i-increase yung awareness.
03:39So, yung mga batang yun, pag-uwi, sinasabi nila sa mga magulang nila,
03:44bakit nyo po binili yan?
03:46Sabi po, sa school, ito pong mga pagkainat ang hindi masyadong healthy at healthy.
03:50So, we have to start primordial prevention.
03:54So, that means we begin from grassroots para ma-encourage yung mga bata.
03:59And when it comes from both ends, mga bata, mga adults din,
04:04alam natin, we can be that way.
04:06Para it doesn't have to be us waiting for health policies to be advocated.
04:12Pero yung mga maliliit na bagay na yan,
04:15baka po pwedeng magsimula sa atin para we can create a ripple effect throughout.
04:20So, yung mga maliliit na bagay na yan,
04:51Orang mga maliliit na bagay na yan,
04:52You
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