QUEZON CITY, October 20, (PIA) - The Regional Dissemination Forum on the result of the 8th National Nutrition Survey (NNS) conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) on Wednesday (October 15) at Traders Hotel, reveals a disturbing fact: malnourished in all ages in the National Capital Region (NCR) is continually decreasing and is lower compared to the national median but, the prevalence of overweights and obese is shooting high.

In the national level, the survey revealed that five in every 100 of zero to five years old Filipino children were overweight whereas in NCR, the ratio is 7:100. Among school children, the prevalence of overweight in the national level is nine in every 100 or (9.1%) and the NCR's data revealed two in every ten school-age children were overweight and obese.

The high prevalence of overweights was also seen among adolescents which revealed that eight in every 100 (8.3%) in the national level were overweights while NCR's prevalence was one in every 10 or (14.7%). The high prevalence was again seen among lactating women wherein the national prevalence of overweight was at 21.7% while the NCR's figure is 31.8%. NCR's average of overweights in adults was higher at 39.9% compared to the national average of 31.9%.

The FNRI in a statement said that based on their study, prevalence of overweight among the different ages more than doubled in the past decade from 2003 to 2013. The prevalence was highest among people belonging to the richest quintile and lowest among the poorest quintile. Overweight situation is also more prevalent in females compared to its male counterparts.

The NCR's high prevalence of overweights and obese is attributed to its high and fast living where lifestyle is sedentary, fast food are abundant and planning and preparation of nutritious food for the family is not of prime importance.

On their part, the National Nutrition Council (NNC) warned that overweight, when left unattended, may result to many chronic degenerative diseases like diabetes mellitus, heart diseases, and hypertension. Thus the Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos (NGF) should be consulted and followed for health and well being.

The 8th NNS was conducted in 2013 to determine and evaluate the food intake, nutrition and health status of Filipinos and update official statistics on food, nutrition and health situation in the country for planinning and decision making of the government as well as non-government sectors. The survey has eight components namely: the anthropometric; biochemical; clinical and health; dietary; economic social and and environment survey; food security; government program participation; infant and young child feeding, maternal health and salt survey. the response rate for the eight components was at 90.0%. (RJB/LFB/PIA-NCR)

- See more at: http://ncr.pia.gov.ph/index.php?article=221413781458#sthash.VkXjflKR.dpuf