NNC says notion that “chubby kids are cute” must be corrected

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The notion that “chubby kids are cute” must be corrected, says the National Nutrition Council (NNC), instead of describing them as ‘cute’ this should be considered as obese, an issue and a disease.

NNC Nutrition officer Katherine Villanueva, in a media interview last March 16 said that this notion must be corrected as this may do more harm than good once these children get older. 

“We are now correcting that notion through our nutrition education programs, we are correcting this notion na ‘pag chubby ang bata, it means it is good and they are cute,” Villanueva said.

According to the World Obesity Federation that obesity should be considered as an issue and a disease.  The 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) revealed that around 27 million Filipinos or one-third of the population were found to be overweight and obese.

Based on the study, there was a slight increase in overweight and obese children, most especially among those nine to 10 years old at 12.6 percent.  Meanwhile, there was a decrease in overweight-for-height among Filipino children belonging to the zero to 23 months age group by 4.7 percent.

The study also showed that overweight and obesity among adults drastically increased from 20.2 percent in 1998 to 36.6 percent in 2019, and the rate among adolescence has almost doubled from 4.9 percent in 2003 to 11.6 percent in 2018.

Villanueva said if the issues are not addressed, such children will most likely continue to become overweight or obese as they grow older, and they may become more prone to non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular mainly heart disease and stroke, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, most likely osteoarthritis and some cancers.

“There’s also this stigma when it comes to individuals suffering from increased body weight, they are being discriminated or they become subjects of insults, especially among children,” Villanueva said.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), children with unhealthy diets who take little exercise are increasingly prone to depression, underperforming at school and learning, and are at greater risk of debilitating disease like diabetes later in life.

UNICEF representative to the Philippines Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov said adequate nutrition is a fundamental human right for every child and a pathway to a healthier future.  “They are more likely to be hospitalized and have a higher likelihood of severe disease. We must overcome an obesity-promoting environment that entices children with junk food and offers few opportunities for physical activity,” she pointed out.

Villanueva said obesity has a lot of contributing factors other than unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity, the environment, accessibility of junk food such even in restaurants, as well as its easy delivery options.

There are less places where one can walk or run or bike, because in the Philippines, very few local government units have walkable pathways or bike lanes that are safe and have a good pathway, she stated.

NNC to address overweight, obesity

To address and curb cases of obesity, NNC executive director Azucena Dayanghirang bared that the NNC Governing Board recently approved the Philippine Nutrient Profile Model, which will provide guidance in determining food and beverages that can be marketed to children and as the basis for front-of-pack labelling of food products.

“This tool is intended to influence food manufacturers to produce and reformulate to offer healthier food to consumers,” Dayanghirang said.  The NNC, which is under the Department of Health, and other national partners have also recommended steps to be taken against cases of overweight and obesity:

NNC will implement policies, legislation, and interventions to promote physical activity including active transport and promotion of green, blue, and open spaces in communities and workplaces.

It also wants to strengthen and sustain appropriate social and behavior change communication on healthy diet and physical activity. 

To implement a package of policies and interventions to promote, protect, and support infant and young child nutrition, especially in the first 1,000 days of life to prevent stunting and reduce risk for children to become obese in their later lives.

Develop a strategy with corresponding funds, human resources, and accountability mechanisms, including empowering the health system with dedicated programs on obesity across the life stage.

Improve data, monitoring, and enforcement of laws and introduce new legislation on marketing and labeling of food products; provide subsidies to farmers and fisherfolk and increase access to nutritious food.

Use social protection programs such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or conditional cash transfer program to improve access to healthy food, especially in times of disasters and to advocate for healthy school food environments for children. (Photos: NNC/Google Images)