07/09/2025
Pursuant to Proclamation No. 162 issued in 1999, every 1st week of September is celebrated as Obesity Prevention Awareness Week. This proclamation recognized the growing challenge of the Philippines with obesity. The 2023 National Nutrition Survey results shows that nearly 1 in 10 children and nearly 4 in 10 adults are now overweight or obese, raising serious health concerns linked to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
The Philippines, as one of the 29 frontrunner countries in the WHO Acceleration Plan to stop obesity, has developed a National Policy on Addressing Obesity and Other Metabolic Disorders, accompanied by a Strategic Plan marks a major step towards halting the rise of obesity through coordinated national action.
This is a call for everyone to practice a healthy lifestyle!
1. Let’s all follow the MOVABA principle:
Eat in MOderation, with VAriety, and BAlance.
2. Stir away from MA-foods:
Ma-aalat
Ma-tatamis
Ma-tataba
Ma-mamantika
3. Adopt physical activity in your daily lives! Galaw-galaw nang hindi maagang pumanaw.
Together, we can reduce obesity-related health risks and build a healthier future for every Filipino. Let’s choose health, avoid obesity, and protect ourselves from serious illnesses.
