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Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Cebu kids at risk of growing obese
By Lovey Lady Villanueva
Sun.Star Correspondent
Cebu City and Cebu Province now lead other areas in Region 7 with children classified as above normal nutrition.
The recent Operation Timbang showed that Cebu has 10,985 children who belong to the above normal nutrition category.
Cebu City, on the other hand, had 2,727.
While this may mean that Cebuano children are healthy, National Nutrition Council (NNC) Officer Susan Orpilla said the figures are alarming.
Orpilla said that if the results of Operation Timbang will not be taken seriously, many Cebuano children might grow to be obese.
In explaining the results, Orpilla said that since Cebu is a highly urbanized area and most parents are working, children are usually left at home with only their household help with them.
As a result, children end up eating instant food or at fastfood joints, which usually offer fatty food or lacking in nutrients.
Orpilla said the results in Cebu could also be a result of families having only one or two children.
Because the parents do not have many mouths to feed, children are usually given all the food they can eat, resulting in an unbalanced diet.
Orpilla also pointed out that children nowadays no longer enjoy outdoor activities that could give them exercise.
For the first time, Operationg Timbang used the international reference standard for malnutrition cases in the region, said Orpilla.
NNC opted to use the international standards since the World Health Organization explained that it is not genetics that plays a big part in the results of the study but environmental factors.
As a result, they not only came up with the rate of malnutrition cases but also for the above normal nutrition cases.
In the region, Bohol ranks first with 15.92 percent of malnutrition cases followed closely by Siquijor with 15.88 percent.
Negros Oriental and Cebu is rank third and fourth respectively with 15.84 percent and 15.36 percent.
Usually, children who are found to be malnourished come from malnourished parents.
Fresh foods
Since the highest rate of malnourished cases is in Bohol, NNC is encouraging Boholanos to eat natural and fresh foods.
And since farming is the main livelihood in Bohol, NNC is encouraging farmers to eat what they produce.
To combat these alarming results, NNC has come up with a Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition reaching the barangay level.
An advocacy awareness program will be conducted on proper nutrition to the barangays so their children can be given the proper care.
Within the month, they will also be conducting a nutrition caravan to strengthen their advocacy. (LLV)
(July 13, 2005 issue)
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