Nutrition month calls for lifestyle diseases prevention
ROXAS CITY – This year’s Nutrition Month celebration calls for a heightened awareness campaign on the role and importance of proper nutrition in the prevention and control of lifestyle diseases among the general public.
The month-long celebration with the theme “Wastong nutrisyon kailangan, lifestyle diseases iwasan!” is stipulated in Presidential Decree No. 491 or the Nutrition Act of the Philippines issued in 1974.
The decree tasks the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to coordinate with local government units, non-government organizations, the private sector, schools, communities and other stakeholders for the nationwide celebration of Nutrition Month (NM) every July of each year.
Lifestyle diseases or commonly known as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are called such because much of the risk factors associated with them are related to how one lives.
The four major lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases that currently dominate the list of leading causes of death in the country are cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cancers, diabetes mellitus and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).
The celebration also encourages individuals and families to make positive decisions towards proper nutrition particularly along the consumption of healthy diets and the practice of healthy lifestyle behaviors.
It also calls for an enabling environment that promotes proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle behaviors among Filipinos. (PIA/A.Lumaque)