By virtue of Presidential Decree 491, the National Nutrition Council is once again spearheading this nationwide Nutrition Month celebration, with this focal theme: “Healthy Diet, gawing habit-FOR LIFE!”. Now on its 43rd year, it primarily aims to increase awareness on the importance of healthy diet with the stirring trend of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and various types of cancers.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), healthy diet helps protect against all forms of malnutrition including non-communicable diseases and plays an important role in securing that one can be free of any diseases. It also stressed out that 5 keys to a healthy diet include the following: a) breastfeeding babies and young children b) eating a variety of foods c) eating plenty of fruits and vegetables d) eating moderate amounts of fats and oils and e) eating less salts and sugars.
There are several guides available to develop achieve a healthy diet that Filipinos can follow such as:
1. Nutritional Guideline for Filipinos (NGF)-contains 10 messages to improve quality of life through adoption of necessary practices and healthy lifestyle. This guide was also simplified to popularize and for better recall and understanding, known as the 10 Kumainments.
2. Pinggang Pinoy- serves as a visual tool to guide Filipinos in consuming the right amount of food in every meal and is also very useful in adopting healthy eating habits by representing the recommended proportion of different food groups
3. Nutritional Guide Pyramid- this illustrates the proper amount of food servings to be consumed daily. It also consists of four layers comprising the basic food groups of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals and as well as fats, oils and sugars that will help us choose of how much to eat to get the needed nutrients.
Moreover, NPC Latonio urges the public during the 2017 Nutrition Month Launching Program held at Viajera Dine and Café, Koronadal City on July 6, 2017, to make it a habit of eating healthier and nutritious foods. This will also prevent nutrient deficiencies and most importantly reduce risks of lifestyle diseases that may strain one’s health and economic stability in the future.
As part of this month-long celebration, NNC XII will be conducting various nutrition month-related activities that have been lined-up and anchored with the 2017 Nutrition month theme to emphasize and promote good nutrition such as hanging of streamers in support to the nationwide campaign, Nutrition forum among Department of Education’s Health and Nutrition Coordinators as well as information dissemination through radio plugs and some radio guesting.
NNC XII will also be undertaking its Nutrition Month Culmination Program on 28th of July 2017 which will highlight activities such as the Nutri-quiz, Pinggang Pinoy healthy meal cooking contest and Postermaking contest.
This celebration endeavors to bring together various sectors and encouraging the public to achieve heathier lifestyle in the fight against malnutrition and obesity-linked diseases such as NCDs.
NNC hopes that everyone will hit the road right by starting to be smart in the food choices they eat and at the same time being physically active. It is also important that this year’s advocacy is well understood, not only making healthier habits for a month, but FOR LIFE! (DPAurel/NNCXII)
