Bridging the nutritional gap

MANILA, Philippines - Diabetes, hypertension, obesity — more and more people are getting afflicted with these so-called “lifestyle diseases.”

As a result, their performance at work or at play is impaired. What is causing the increasing number of cases of lifestyle diseases? According to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), an unhealthy diet is a key factor in the prevalence of these conditions.

Vitamins and minerals are necessary for proper food metabolism. When people do not get the right amount of vitamins and minerals into their body, they are unable to efficiently turn the proteins and carbohydrates that they eat into energy. This is why even though they eat so much, they still feel weak and get tired quickly.

Vitamins and minerals are also needed to strengthen the immune system. When people have a shortage of important vitamins and minerals in our body, their immune system is less than optimal and they become vulnerable to illness.

This unhealthy diet creates a vicious cycle: when people feel sick or weak or tired, they lose their drive to engage in healthy physical activities such as sports or exercise. Even simple things such as walking or climbing stairs become tiresome. This leads to a sedentary lifestyle, where they feel that changing their diet and physical routine is too great an effort, so, it’s not surprising that their health and our quality of life suffer.

Lack of nutrients

Based on the 2008 FNRI National Nutrition Survey, more than 70 percent of Filipinos across populations groups lack vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron in their daily diet.

For example, the FNRI’s Recommended Nutrient Intake (RENI) on a daily basis for vitamin A is 550 micrograms for male adults (aged 19 to 65 and above), and 500 micrograms for female adults (aged 19 to 65 and above). 

However, the 2008 survey shows that actual average vitamin A intake among Filipino adults is just 499.6 micrograms, while the elderly only take in 379.9 micrograms daily.

In the case of vitamin C, the RENI for male adults (aged 19 to 65+) is 75 milligrams while the RENI for female adults (aged 19 to 65+) is 70 milligrams.

The 2008 survey, however, shows that on the average, Filipino adults only consume 44.7 milligrams of vitamin C daily, while the elderly consume 44.5 milligrams daily.

As for calcium, the RENI for male adults is 750 milligrams for those aged 19 to 64, and 800 milligrams for those aged 65 and above. The RENI for female adults is 750 grams for those aged 19 to 49, and 800 grams for those aged 50 and above.

According to the 2008 FNRI survey, the actual average daily calcium consumption among adults is only 370 milligrams, while the elderly only consume 330 milligrams of calcium every day.

Iron consumption among Filipino adults is also below the RENI. The RENI for iron among male adults aged 19 to 65 and above is 12 milligrams. The RENI for iron among non-pregnant female adults aged 19 to 64 is 27 milligrams, and for those aged 65 and above, 10 milligrams.

Actual average iron consumption among Filipino adults, however, was found to be only at 9.4 milligrams daily, while the average consumption among the elderly was even lower at 7.5 milligrams a day.

The 2008 FNRI survey also found that 65 percent of Filipinos across population groups are not taking enough calories to meet their daily energy requirement. 

The RENI pegs the energy requirements for Filipino male adults as follows: 19 to 29 years old, 2,490 kilocalories (kcal); 30 to 49 years old, 2,420 kcal; 50 to 64 years old, 2,170 kcal; and 65 years old and above, 1,890 kcal.

For female adults, the energy requirements are: 19 to 29 years old, 1,860 kcal; 30 to 49 years old, 1,810 kcal; 50 to 64 years old, 1,820 kcal; and 65 years old and above, 1,410 kcal.

On the average, however, Filipino adults only consume 1,915 kcal daily while the elderly consume even less, with only 1,436 kcal daily. 

According to FNRI’s computation, these figures mean that 65 percent of Filipinos are not getting enough energy for their everyday activities.

So how do people change to a healthy lifestyle and be at their best? Obviously, they need to commit themselves first to a healthy diet. The FNRI website (www.fnri.dost.gov.ph) provides an illustrated, dietary guide called the Filipino Food Pyramid to help people make the right food choices for optimum health and nutrition.

Besides switching to a healthy diet, Filipinos also need to take health supplements to fill in the nutrition gaps on days when, for one reason or another, one’s food choices are less than ideal.

There are encouraging signs that more and more Filipinos are becoming educated about the value of nutritional supplements and they are taking more of these. FNRI surveys show in 2003, only 22.9 percent of Filipinos said they took health supplements. In 2008, that figure had risen to 46.8 percent.

The top two reasons these people gave for taking supplements were health and extra energy. Other reasons were “doctor-recommended,” “perform better in school/work,” and “not getting enough vitamins from the diet.”

To get the maximum benefits from a vitamin and mineral supplement, make sure to choose one that has complete nutritional content.  Centrum is complete and specially balanced with 30 vitamins and minerals the body needs, from vitamin A to zinc. For adults aged 50 and above, on the other hand, Centrum Silver’s age-adjusted formula is perfect for the changing needs in their golden years.