|
FUTURE
generations of Filipinos will be at risk for various
vitamin deficiencies as the number of pregnant women who
are nutritionally at-risk increases, according to the
National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).
NSCB
executive director Romulo Virola said that based on the
results of the National Nutrition Survey (NNS), 28 in
every 100 pregnant women, or around 28.4 percent, are
nutritionally at-risk in 2005. This is higher than the
26.6 percent recorded in 2003.
“Good
nutrition leads to decreases in still births,
prematurity and congenital malformations. But statistics
show that Nanay [mother] is not getting proper
nutrition. If the proportion of nutritionally at-risk
pregnant women continues to increase in the coming
years, more Pinoy babies will also be at risk,” Virola
said in his latest online column “Statistically
Speaking.”
Based on
the NNS, the usual one-day food consumption of pregnant
Filipino women amounts to 810 grams, comprised largely
of rice and rice products at 29.5 percent; fish and fish
products, 16 percent; and vegetables, 12.1 percent.
Virola
said the rice-fish-vegetable diet, which is already 57.6
percent of a pregnant woman’s mean one-day intake,
leaves a small amount for other food groups needed for a
pregnant woman’s proper nutrition, such as milk and milk
products, which should compose 6.4 percent, and fruits,
8.8 percent.
In a
pregnant women’s diet, Virola said energy and protein
intake is only 78.4-percent and 84.7 percent adequate,
respectively. Iron, which is also important for maternal
blood volume and iron stores of the baby, is only 28.8
percent adequate, while riboflavin intake is even less
than half of the requirements at 48.1 percent.
Virola
added that pregnant women’s mean intakes of vitamin A,
vitamin C, calcium and thiamin are all less than 80
percent, indicating poor diet among pregnant women.
The
prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) among
pregnant women was also very high at 43.9 percent in
2003. This, however, is lower than the 50.5 percent
prevalence rate in 1998.
The
prevalence rate of Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) of 17.5
percent in 2003 is, likewise, lower compared to the 1998
rate of 22.2 percent, but is still higher than the
cut-off point of 15-percent set by the World Health
Organization (WHO).
In
pregnant women, VAD causes night blindness and may
increase the risk of maternal mortality while anemic
mothers predispose infants to anemia.
“It is
sad to note that pregnant women are not eating enough
and not eating the right food when they must. The
nutritional status of pregnant women in the country is a
public-health problem,” Virola said.
“Could
this be the reason why our young Pinoys [Filipinos] are
no longer performing in school as well as we used to?”
he added.
In
general, the NSCB said Filipinos are losing the ability
to strike a balance in their daily food and dietary
requirements as the number of underweight adolescents
and the number of overweight children, adolescents, and
adults are increasing.
Virola
said general statistics reveal that the increase in this
trend is a cause for deep concern, particularly because
of the Philippines’ commitment to meet the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), particularly those that focus
on nutrition.
“In
general, statistics show that there is an increasing
trend in the proportion of underweight adolescents and
an increasing trend in the proportion of overweight
children, adolescents and adults. I hope this trend does
not continue, otherwise magiging lahi tayo ng mga
payatot and tabachoy [we will be a race of thin and fat
people],” Virola said.
He said
the NNS showed that the prevalence of underweight
adolescents, or those aged 11 to 19 years, slightly
increased from 15.5 percent in 2003 to 16 percent,
respectively, in 2005.
The NNS
also showed that overweight children aged 0 to 5 years
continued to increase from 1998 to 2005; while
overweight school-age children or those 6 to 10 years
old also increased from 1996 to 2005.
Virola
noted that the pattern of being overweight extends to
older Filipinos because since 1993, the proportion of
overweight adolescents or those 11 to 19 years old has
increased reaching 4.8 percent in 2005.
The
number of overweight/obese Filipino adults, the NNS
showed, has also been increasing from 1993, reaching 24
percent in 2003, with relatively more females being
overweight or around 27.3 percent than males, 20.9
percent.
Besides
the body mass index, waist circumference (WC) is another
measure of the amount of body fat or adipose tissue. In
this case, the term “Android Obesity” is used as an
indicator of risks to noncommunicable diseases.
Virola
said the proportion of adults with WCs greater than the
WHO threshold was 2.4 percent among male adults but 17
percent among female adults in 2003. Compared to 1998,
the proportion among male adults is lower by 0.3
percentage point while that of female adults is higher
by 6.3 percentage points.
“Both
sexes show increases in the prevalence of
overweight/obese, with female adults having the highest
percentage-point increase of 8.7 from 1993 to 2003. Does
this mean that Dabiana, Donya Buding and Kim Sam Soon
are leaving their bellyprints in the sands of time?”
Virola asked. |
