A new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) titled “Children’s lived experience of the food environment” found that young people and children in the Philippines are influenced by similar environmental factors that impact their food choices and eating habits.
The food environment in the country is essentially failing Filipino children who eat sugarier, salty and fatty food products, driving the high prevalence of overweight and obese kids.
The report was able to pinpoint the policies that the Philippine government and other stakeholders need to strengthen to provide children with better access to healthier diets and living conditions which are crucial in supporting the growth and development of children in the country.
According to the study, the diets of children in the Philippines are changing, with them eating fewer fruits and vegetables, and more sugar, salty and fatty food.
Seventy-four percent of children aged 13-15 years old eat less than three portions of vegetables per day, while more than one-third drink at least one softdrink a day. Among children aged five to 10 years old, overweight rates increased significantly from 10.4 percent in 2019 to 14 percent last year, while among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old, it increased from 10.7 percent in 2019 to 13 percent last year.
The report said poor diet contributes to a triple burden of malnutrition with undernutrition, in the form of poor growth and micronutrient deficiencies, co-existing with increasing rates of obesity. It is driven by systems that fail to provide kids with adequate diet, space to play and exercise, access to safe water and hygienic environments, and financial security.
The study detailed recommendations in food, social protection, built infrastructure, education and communication systems, such as introducing mandatory legislation to restrict the marketing of unhealthy food to children, promoting availability of locally produced food at affordable prices, developing safe areas where children can play and exercise, and enforcing policies and standards to promote healthy school food environments.
The climate crisis, economic shocks, and rising prices are hitting vulnerable families particularly hard, according to the study.
The triple burden of malnutrition, undernutrition and obesity is already making an impact on the health and well-being of the next generation of Filipinos, and the solution isn’t going to be simple. It will take the combined might of government and the private sector to dial back the dependence and damage caused by unhealthy lifestyles that prioritize convenience and affordability, but it is an issue that we must face.*
