Details: Category: Region 9; Published: 18 March 2021

RO9 Obesity Overweight and obesity are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a medical condition that occurs when there is an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a health risk. It is often a major risk factor for the development of potentially serious health problems such as type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cancer of the uterus, cervix, endometrium, ovary, breast, colon, rectum, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, and prostate, renal diseases, degenerative arthritis, infertility among women and erectile dysfunction among men. Non-communicable diseases were the leading causes of mortality, morbidity and disability in the Philippines today.

Obesity usually results from a combination of causes and contributing factors. Although there are genetic, behavioral and certain health conditions (Cushing syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), osteoarthritis) and medications ( antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medications, antipsychotic medications, steroids) that may contribute to weight gain, consuming more calories than you burn-on a long term basis can lead to obesity. Losing weight is not easy for some obese individuals and may require a long-term commitment to do so. According to WHO, we can lower the risk of overweight and obesity by reducing the number of calories consumed from fats and sugars, increasing the portion of daily intake of fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts, and engaging in regular physical activity of at least 60 minutes per day for children and 150 minutes per week for adults. In babies, studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding from birth to 6 months of age reduces the risk of infants becoming overweight or obese.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is an index of weight-for-height, a commonly used parameter for classifying various degrees of adiposity in adults. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. In adults, a BMI of over 25 kg/m2 is overweight and 30 kg/m2 or more is considered obese.

Waist-hip-ratio (WHR) is another indicator to identify individuals at risk of obesity‐related morbidity due to accumulation of abdominal fat. WHR is the person's waist circumference divided by the hip circumference. The ratio can be measured more precisely than skin folds, and it provides an index of both subcutaneous and intra‐ abdominal adipose tissue (Bjorntorp, 1987).

In the Philippines, overweight and obesity are still prevalent at 36.0% with one case in every 3 Filipino adults. According to the Expanded National Nutrition Survey of DOST-FNRI, the prevalence of overweight among children 0-23 months continues to decline between 2013 (5.9%) and 2019 (2.6%). There was also a decrease in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents from 11.6% to 9.8% from 2018 to 2019. Among adults, the trend in the prevalence of overweight and obesity significantly increased between 2015 (31.1%) and 2018 (37.2%), slightly declined in 2019 (36%). Android-type of obesity (high Waist Circumference and high Waist-Hip-Ratio) also slightly declined in 2019. Among adults 20 years old and over, females were observed to have higher waist circumference and waist-hip ratio compared to males – for waist circumference, 23% vs. 3.6%; for waist-hip ratio, 63% vs. 7.2%; thus they are more at-risk for central obesity than males. Overall, though there is a recorded decrease of prevalence in individuals with excess weight in recent surveys, still this should not be taken for granted as the risk of developing non-communicable diseases attributed to overweight and obesity later in life is still very high if not prevented. Thus, weight management must be observed and put into practice for better health.

PNC-ZDN Rowence F. Zorilla

References:

1. Obesity

https://www.who.int/health-topics/obesity#tab=tab_1