A Philippine lawmaker on Monday raised concerns over the growing obesity problem in the country, following a recent study that found that about 41% of the 72 million Filipino adults – or 29.5 million people – are classified as overweight or obese.
Janet L., Deputy Speaker and Representative of the 1st District of Iloilo. “Forty-one percent is very worrying. I was surprised because I never expected it to be so high,” Garin said in reaction to the findings of the Epidemiological Burden and Cost of Obesity in the Philippines (Epicob-PH) study.
The study was led by Dr. Madeleine de Rosas-Valera and funded by Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical (Philippines) Inc. It also found that more than four in 10 Filipino adults are already at increased risk of obesity-related health problems.
Ms. Garin said the study's findings are “alarming and alarming for our country,” noting that Filipinos currently face high health care spending, while public health care spending is largely directed toward curative care rather than preventive care.
The Iloilo representative said it is time for the government to work together and solve the problem of obesity by providing schools and communities with the right information.
Ms. Garin committed to emphasizing programs and budget allocations for health to reduce the number of obese Filipinos from 41% to about 10%, noting that such a persistently high figure would be “a bad legacy for the country.”
Meanwhile, she told BusinessWorld she is considering including lessons about misleading marketing of food that contributes to obesity in the school curriculum. Ms. Garin said she would pursue it through legislation or through the lower house's oversight powers.
“We have to start guiding parents and teachers in terms of curriculum. We have to tell them what they are feeding or eating.” [It can be included in the curriculum. We have to start orienting parents and teachers because that is where it begins. We have to let them know what they are feeding their children or what they themselves are eating]” Ms. Garin said at the presentation of the EPICOB-PH study.
On the recent push to increase taxes on sweetened beverages and amend the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act to include previously exempt sweetened and flavored milk, Ms. Garin said it is difficult to discuss taxation amid the current global economic challenges.
“Napaka-mahirap na tumbukin natin ang tax, especially when it pertains to food [It is very difficult to directly raise taxes, especially when it relates to food]” Ms. Garin said.
“Maybe we can discuss about taxation in the future, which would probably have a very bad impact on the economy if we talk about it.” [Maybe we can discuss taxation the future, because for now, if we talk about that, it might have a bigger impact on the economy later]” he added.
The representative also said the lower house could explore other ways to curb obesity, such as imposing fines on unhealthy foods and taking measures to raise public awareness about foods that contribute to obesity.
The EPICOB-PH study was conducted to address the gap in research on the demographic distribution and economic burden of obesity in the country. It used a modeling approach that combined multiple national data sources.
Researchers used data from the National Nutrition Survey and the Expanded National Nutrition Survey from 1993 to 2023 to estimate current and future trends in obesity, as well as its health impacts.
Obesity costs trillions of pesos
The Epicob-PH study also found that obesity is projected to cost the Philippines approximately P1.9 trillion in 2025, equivalent to 7.3% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) that year. If overweight-related expenses are also included, the cost could rise to P2.7 trillion.
Of the total cost, P551 billion was attributed to health care expenditures, which could reach P790 billion if overweight cases are included.
These cover direct medical costs such as hospitalization based on standard estimates, assuming that patients are diagnosed and treated according to medical guidelines.
Non-medical costs were also taken into account, which reached P165.39 billion, including expenses such as transportation.
Productivity loss, including missed workdays due to obesity-related conditions, was estimated at P1.17 trillion.
Dr. John Paul Cesar delos Trinos, chief scientific officer and principal of MetaHealth Insights & Innovation Inc., the consulting agency that organized the forum, said the cost of obesity was calculated through a specialized disease cost model that integrated findings from previous epidemiological burden studies.
The analysis was also supported by secondary data, including published literature, online resources, and consultation with experts.
To curb the economic cost of obesity, Mr Delos Trinos said food warning labels could be improved to indicate higher levels of obesity-inducing ingredients such as fat, sugar and salt.
Meanwhile, he urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to include obesity in its primary care package, YAKAP.
For government offices and workplaces, he also suggested incorporating wellness initiatives for employees.
“This cannot be addressed by one institution or one sector alone. It cannot just be researchers who do studies, publish them and then it's over. It will really require collaboration between different sectors,” Mr. delos Trinos said during his presentation in mixed English and Filipino. — Age Adrian A Eva