Monday, August 18, 2008 Baguio kids said to be malnourished
JUST like any urban area, Baguio is also confronted with issues involving the deteriorating status of its residents, even schoolchildren.
National Nutrition Council director Micaela DeFiesta said Baguio City is confronted by both problems on undernourishment and obesity among children as evidenced by a recent survey done by the agency.
No figures were given but DeFiesta said Baguio has the highest number of malnourished and obese children in the Cordillera region.
A change in lifestyle and eating habits remain the main reason for the increase, DeFiesta said. Children have easy access to junk food and the staple Filipino food of rice and fish has been replaced with instant food.
Overall, the nutritional status of residents in the Cordillera has improved. DeFiesta said this can be attributed to the food-for-school program.
The nearby province of Benguet meantime has the lowest number of malnourished children. DeFiesta said this is because the local government has programs on nutrition geared towards improving the healthy of their constituents.
"Other LGUs (local government units) have unclear plans and do not have enough budget for nutrition," DeFiesta said. (RO)
