Covibesity (Part 2 )
Last May 16 and 17, 2022, I attended the virtual convention of the Philippine
Ambulatory Pediatrics Association and this topic was of great interest and importance. So, i emailed the speaker, Dr Antonette Abigail A. Natino, a pediatrician and a member of the Philippine Society of Pediatric Metabolism and Endocrinology, asking her permission to echo her lecture in this column. She gave me a positive reply to my request. This is Part 2 of the paper.
To help solve the problem of childhood obesity in our country, Dr Antonette
Natino emphasized the importance of Pinggang Pinoy in the diet of every Filipino Child, a program of the Department of Health. This Pinggang Pinoy consists of: -1/4 lean protein – 1/4 starchy carbohydrates -1/2 non – starchy carbs.
We should invest good nutrition in the first 1000 days = 270 during pregnancy 365 (0-12 months) 365 (13-23 months).
We should also follow
the 52100 lifestyle which is: – 5 servings of fruits and vegetables – 2 hours ov screen time (excluding school related) – 1 hour of moderate physical activity – 0 sugary sweetened beverages – 0 smoking/second-hand smoke.
To fight this problem of childhood obesity, everybody must act. We should
act as a team. Dr Natino stated the roles of each one of us to fight and to win against this problem.
1. Pediatricians must do periodic monitoring and must maintain a database on secular trends
2. Education – endorsement of healthy lifestyle by prominent and local champions
3. Community – safe walk/ bicycle routes to school – health walks/ healthy food festivals
4. Perinatal and Neonatal – balanced nutrition in pregnant mothers – breastfeeding – correct
growth velocity/ catch-up growth
5. School- based programs – healthy food in cafeteria – incorporate more knowledge about good health / nutrition in curriculum
6. Home – restrict screen time to less than 2 hours – supervised physical activity in 20-60 minutes at least 4x a week
7. National Health Authority – create national task force for obesity – decrease taxes for fruits and vegetables – more playgrounds and bike tracks – restrict Ads for commercial foods – ban unfair nutrition claims – prohibition of promotional gifts with junk food
8. Legislative – proper food readable labeling – food
policies to promote good health – free universal screening in children (lipids, Glucose).