“Healthy diet, gawing habit – FOR LIFE!”, is the 2017 nutrition month theme which aims to promote healthy diet among Filipinos.

Changes in the food system increases the availability of food that are highly processed composed of refined carbohydrates, high salt, high fat, calorie dense and with reduced access to whole foods including fruits and vegetables and the low number of Filipinos not consuming healthy diets are some of the reasons why healthy diet was given attention this year.

In 2013 based on the National Nutrition Survey of FNRI-DOST, the population of Filipino households with diets that met energy requirement is only 31.7%.

The following are the reasons why we should focus on healthy diet:

1. A healthy diet, which is part of a healthy lifestyle is the foundation of good health. Healthy diets protect against both under- and overnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including hypertension, diabetes, heart and vascular diseases and some forms of cancer.
2. Breastfeeding and complementary feeding which comprise the healthy diet of infants and young children to promote optimal growth and development and impact on long-term health including reducing risks of obesity and NCDs, are below optimal levels. In 2015, only 24.7% of 5 months old infants were exclusively breastfed and only 18.6% of 6-23 months old children met the minimum acceptable diet.
3. Filipinos are not consuming healthy diets. The average food consumption among Filipinos is below the recommended amount, energy and nutrient levels. In 2013, the proportion of households with diets that meet the energy requirements is only 31.7%.
4. There is increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity especially among adults. Currently, 31.1% of adults are overweight and obese which translates to about 18 million Filipinos.
5. The food system is changing towards increased availability of foods that are highly processed composed of refined carbohydrates, high in salt, high in fat, calorie-dense and with decreasing access to vegetables and fruits.

For the 2017 nutrition month materials, please click http://nnc.gov.ph/downloads/2016-nutrition-month-materials and in posting in social media posts related to the nutrition month please use the hashtags #2017NutMonth and #HealthDiet4Life.