Manila, Philippines – Department of Health warns the public to not over-consume Junk Foods.
The problem with junk foods is that they’re low in satiation (satisfying oneself) value. People don’t feel full when they eat them and can lead to overeating and later on obesity. The worst part is it always looks appealing in the ads and it’s packaging.
“Junk Food” usually refers to foods that contribute lots of calories but little nutritional value but it depends on who you ask, there are experts would say pizza could be junk food but if you’ll check there is food with nutrients such as cheese, whole wheat bread, vegetable toppings and other toppings that are not processed.
Junk Food is one of the biggest contributors to being obese or overweight and now Obese and Overweight % in the Philippines is getting high and according to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) “At the national level, 28.8% are overweight and 9.6% are obese among adults, 20-59 years old, based on BMI. All the 8 cities in Metro Manila had a prevalence of more than 30% prevalence of overweight and 10% obese adults.
If we think that these foods are not healthy for us now that we are adults, the more that is not good for the younger generation specially for babies. Some parents are even feeding their children Instant Noodles and even if there is a good intention to provide nutrition, they may even possess the micronutrient “Sangkap Pinoy Seal”, meaning they have been fortified, but if they’re high in sodium, it is going to be unhealthy and can be classified as Junk Food.
DOH is now requesting to reformulate their products to lessen the sodium because Noodles is one of the most affordable easy to cook for households. DOH even advise the manufacturers to add vegetables in their formulae such as squash, malunggay, and eggs.
So as netizens what should we do?
Don’t get me wrong if I won’t put “ALL” Fruits and Vegetables as a top priority in getting good food nutrition. We suggest avoiding fruits that are in high sugar content and vegetables that are loaded with carbohydrates as this adds to high-calorie intake for the day.
Avoid Fast Food Restaurants and Processed Foods they would say it’s healthy and there are vitamins and minerals and the packaging of the food really looks healthy, sanitized and appealing but there are contents also that are not good for the health and can lead to hypertension and worst cancer.
Snack Foods are also foods to consider because they are usually commercially prepared like chips, cheese popcorns, chocolate or candy bars, packaged sliced cakes, and packaged cookies.
Homecooked food is still one of the nutritious food to eat but most Filipinos tend to cook food faster and they use food seasoning like sinigang mix instead of actually using “Sampaloc”. Food Seasoning though approved by the experts we still do not know how safe to consume this.
At the end of the day, it is still us who ensure what foods we eat and what beverages we drink. As they all say health is wealth.