33rd Nutrition Month celebration focuses on adolescents

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
July 2, 2007

CATBALOGAN, Samar  –  From breastfeeding of babies then in the past year, this time adolescents’ food choices and lifestyles become the center of the 33rd Nutrition Month celebration this July 2007.

In a meeting presided by Samar Provincial Nutrition Committee (PNC) Ms. Alva Gadin said that this year’s theme is: “Healthy lifestyle ng kabataan, landas sa kinabukasan!”

The National Nutrition Council (NNC) and Local Government Units are mandated to coordinate the celebration of nutrition month (section 7, Presidential Decree no. 491 or Nutrition Act of the Philippines, 25 June 1974).

Gadin added that the theme focuses on the nutrition and health needs of Filipino adolescents particularly on the consumption of nutritious food to prepare them for adulthood and the practice of healthy lifestyle to stay fit and healthy.

The World Health Oragization (WHO) defines adolescents as those aged between 10 and 19.

WHO noted that the increasing prevalence and incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCD) during adulthood result from faulty nutrition and lifestyle practices during pre-adolescence and adolescence.

Teaching adolescents to practice healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition will give them a better chance to become healthy and productive adults in the future, added Baby Borata, head of the Samar Provincial Health Technical Services, also a member of Samar PNC.

The data showed that prevalence of underweight adolescents increased between 1993 and 1998 but declined in 2003. On the other hand, the prevalence of overweight adolescents continued to increase between 1993 and 2003.

The study indicated that physical changes that adolescents, particularly females, undergo also make them become conscious of the kinds and amounts of food they should eat.  Adolescent females tend to eat less because of fear of becoming fat. They also become choosy of the foods they eat, preferring more of the snack foods over full meals.

Nutritionists also noticed food choices available to adolescents especially in school also contribute to their nutritional status.  School canteens serve less nutritious foods such as chips, carbonated beverages and “artificial” fruit juices and often do not serve varied kinds of food to improve food choices of adolescents.

A study covering public high school canteens also revealed that the snacks offered to adolescents were of low nutritional value providing only 5% of the nutrient allowance of the adolescents for a day.

Another fact observed was Filipino adolescents are not fond of drinking milk which is a good source of nutrients. To them, milk drinking is only for young children. Also, others find drinking milk expensive.

Studies also show that female adolescents are iron deficient because of fewer intakes of iron and vitamin C-rich foods.

Lastly, skipping breakfast and poor meals are additional factors that contribute to nutrient deficiencies.

Cognizant of the foregoing facts that ail Filipino adolescents, Samar PNC will adopt strategies to reach the Samar adolescents for information and education campaign.

For now, adolescents are advised to observe that aside from proper nutrition, adolescents can achieve healthy lifestyle by balancing the amount of food eaten with physical activity; exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and avoid drinking alcoholic beverages.