Obesity is an established risk factor for numerous chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular/ cronary heart disease, and some forms of cancer, which is believed to start from childhood. Childhood obesity is defined as an excess of body fat — 25 percent in boys and 32 percent in girls.

In the Philippines, one to two out of 100 six tol 2 year old children are overweight. Four out of 100 adolescents are overweight with slightly more males (five out of 100) than females (three out of 100).

According to the 2003 National Nutrition and Health Survey, the overall prevalence of overweight in adults is 19.7 percent and 4.3 percent for obesity. With this data, Filipinos should be aware of the fate of acquiring the deadly chronic diseases. It is therefore recommended for overweight people (defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of over 25 kg/m2 for Caucasians and over 23 for Asians) to work on weight loss.

The question is: How much do we have to eat? What diet is safe for weight loss for long term effects?

Low-carbohydrate and high-saturated fats are not recommended for weight loss due to its adverse effects. Likewise the very low calorie diets are not suitable for long term use. The low calorie diet and the very low fat high fiber diet have less adverse effects.

Nutrition Guide for a Healthy Lifestyle

1. Eat a variety of foods in moderation.
2. Know your daily energy (Kcal) intake, source and requirement.
3. Be conscious of nutrition facts and labels.
4. Eat high fiber foods daily, following recommendations of 20 to 25 grams among Filipinos. Dietary fiber has an important role in the maintenance of weight, proper control and management of diabetes mellitus, and prevention for risk of cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer.
5. Drink water eight to 10 glasses daily.
6. Exercise and be active.
7. Avoid smoking.
8. Drink alcohol in moderation.

Let us follow good nutrition, and exercise daily to maintain weight and healthy body because…..You are what you eat!

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