Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity

President’s Message

Rosa Allyn G. Sy, MD, FPCP, FPSEM

The Philippine National Nutrition Health Evaluation and Survey (NNHES) in 2003 showed that there is a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity in the country. From a prevalence of 16.9% overweight Filipinos and 3.2% obese Filipinos in 1998, it rose to 19.6% overweight and 4.9% obese Filipinos in a short interval period of 5 years. The majority of these, unfortunately, are from the middle-aged and the working population. With the various medical consequences associated with obesity this weight problem will undoubtedly lead to decreased productivity and contribute to economic growth retardation. Indeed, the Philippines is affected by the world’s socio-economic and health burden brought about by this CHRONIC LIFESTYLE DISEASE. What used to be viewed as merely an aesthetic problem has now blown up into a gigantic global public health concern.

The fight of the Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity against OBESITY and its related medical complications started thirteen years ago but the challenge that we face now is even heavier. With the increasing trend in childhood obesity worldwide, we need to start our awareness campaign not only among adults, but more importantly, we need to focus our attention on the most vulnerable victims of the segment of our community to this silent but deadly condition – our children. The decline in children’s outdoor activities, increase in television watching and the impact of TV advertisements are important attributes of these growing problem. In the USA, obesity is estimated to affect 15% of children with the highest incidence and prevalence amongst adolescents. In the our own country, it is estimated to affect 3.1% of children 11 – 19 years of age, 1.5% of children 6 -10 years old and 1.9% in children 0-5 years of age. Like adults where obesity is more common amongst women, the NNHES 2003 likewise noted slightly overweight girls (3.8%) than overweight boys (3.4%).

We have just started our task in awareness campaign, but is immense and too large for PASOO to accomplish alone. We need the support of every health-care professionals - we need everyone to join us to halt the growth of this epidemic. Through EDUCATION, RESEARCH ADVOCACY AND NETWORKING, PASOO believes that we can make a difference in the lives and health of every Filipino people.