A nation is what it nourishes

For more than five decades, July has been observed as Nutrition Month in the Philippines to remind Filipinos that good nutrition is the foundation of a healthy and productive nation.

- FORMER SENATOR JOEY D. LINA

Yet the annual campaign inevitably raises an uncomfortable question: if awareness has been promoted for over 50 years, why do millions of Filipinos still suffer from malnutrition while obesity and diet-related diseases continue to rise?

Has the campaign failed to change behavior? Or is the problem no longer a lack of awareness, but a food environment and a society that makes healthy choices increasingly difficult and, too often, less important than convenience and cost?

The numbers tell the story. The 2023 National Nutrition Survey, which covered more than 36,000 households and 115,000 Filipinos, presents a sobering picture. Nearly one in four Filipino children under five (23.6 percent) is stunted, suffering from chronic undernutrition that permanently impairs physical growth, brain development, learning, and future productivity.

Another 15.1 percent are underweight, 5.6 percent are wasted, and 3.7 percent are overweight, underscoring the country's persistent “triple burden" of malnutrition.

The encouraging news is that stunting has been cut almost in half—from 44.7 percent in 1989 to 23.6 percent in 2023. But wasting has remained virtually unchanged. The Philippines has made meaningful gains against malnutrition, but not enough to declare victory.

The consequences extend beyond childhood. One Filipino adult reportedly develops chronic kidney disease every hour, with younger adults now accounting for most patients.