DAVAO Region now ranks among the top five in the country for adult overweight and obesity rates, a worrying sign that lifestyle changes, food habits, and health gaps are catching up with residents.
Based on surveys conducted by the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) in 2018, 2019, and 2021, 40.2 percent of adults in Davao aged 20 and above are overweight, almost double the 24 percent recorded in 2003. This puts the region alongside Caraga (40.4 percent), Central Luzon (40.4 percent), Calabarzon (42.1 percent), and the National Capital Region (46.5 percent) as the areas with the most number of overweight and obese adults.
The figures were shared by Retsebeth Laquihon, RND, of the National Nutrition Council–Davao Region during the Regional Nutrition Media Group’s unified meeting on August 12, 2025, at the Ritz Hotel by Garden Oases in Bo. Obrero, Davao City.
The gathering brought together media partners and information officers from across the region to discuss ways of promoting healthier habits through accurate and timely information.
Children not spared from weight concerns
Although Davao’s obesity problem is most pronounced among adults, the FNRI’s age-specific data reveals that children in other regions are facing similar challenges.
In the National Capital Region, 6.4 percent of preschoolers are overweight, followed by Calabarzon and Cagayan Valley at 5.0 percent, well above the national average of 3.9 percent.
Among school-age children, the national average is 14 percent, but NCR tops the list with 19.5 percent, followed closely by Calabarzon (18.7 percent) and Central Luzon (17.4 percent). Adolescents (aged 10-19) in these same regions also recorded the highest overweight rates.
While Davao does not appear in the top five for younger age groups, Laquihon stressed that the overall trend is clear: more Filipinos, across all ages, are moving toward unhealthy weight ranges, increasing their risk for non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
The double burden of malnutrition
Experts warn that the Philippines is facing a “double burden of malnutrition”, a situation where obesity and undernutrition exist side by side, often in the same community. In rural barangays, it’s not unusual to see an underweight child in one household and an overweight adult in the next.
“This is not just a health problem; it’s also an economic problem,” Laquihon said. Figures from Nutrition International showed that if malnutrition in all its forms is left unchecked, the country could lose $48 billion in productivity by 2030 due to stunting. Low birth weight alone costs $1 billion annually in lost productivity, while poor breastfeeding practices contribute to 5,000 child deaths and 1,400 maternal deaths each year.
A roadmap for change
To reverse these trends, the government is implementing the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023-2028. The six-year framework aims to improve food security, ensure access to nutritious food, and prioritize vulnerable groups.
Formulated under the National Nutrition Council, the PPAN supports the Marcos Jr. administration’s socioeconomic agenda, the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, and global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals. It is guided by principles of equity, sustainability, and community participation, encouraging families to take an active role in improving their own nutrition.
For Laquihon, the message is clear: “We need to act now—not just as individuals, but as communities. The choices we make today about what we eat and how we live will shape the health of the next generation.”