Weight loss advocacy campaign launched

MANILA, Philippines - Overweight and obesity rank fifth among the leading risks for global deaths. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.8 million adults die each year from being overweight and obese.

In the Philippines, overweight and obesity are serious problems. A 2011 survey done by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) showed that 22.3 percent of Filipino adults are overweight and six percent are obese.

This means higher risk for other health complications, including hypertension, diabetes, heart problems, stroke, cancer, and many more.

The prevalence of overweight Filipinos is expected to increase significantly by 2015, which only means more health problems ahead. Indeed, weight loss is not only a cosmetic concern but a serious health concern as well.

In response to the growing rate of overweight and obesity in the country, research-based pharmaceutical company Roche recently launched its weight loss consciousness advocacy campaign through its product Xenical (orlistat), and the membership program Club New You.

The advocacy entitled “The more weight you lose, the more life you gain” with the catchy battle cry “Rock the fat away!” was created to help remind Filipinos of the importance of a healthy diet and proper weight management. Education and awareness are important to help guide Filipinos to make the right choices when it comes to their diet and lifestyle.

The Rock the Fat Away advocacy is launched through Club New You (www.newyou.com.ph), the online membership advocacy powered by Xenical, to assist and inspire users on their journey for a holistic and effective weight loss program.

The site offers useful information on health, fitness, food and recipés, love and relationships, and more. Experts’ guide on weight loss and nutrition can be found on the site, as well as regular promos, contests, and giveaways.

At a press conference, leading weight loss experts Dr. Gabriel Jasul and Dr. Roberto Mirasol from the Philippine Society for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PASOO) discussed the importance of weight loss and weight management and the many myths associated with weight loss, including fad diets, weight loss misconceptions, and other misinformation associated with losing weight.

“According to the data gathered by FNRI in 1998, 20 out of 100 Filipinos were overweight. However, 10 years after, in 2008, 27 out of 100 Filipinos were overweight. One out of four Filipinos is either overweight or obese or approximately 19 million overweight Filipinos and 4.5 million obese Filipinos,” said Jasul, PASOO president and immediate past president of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM).

“These data show that the current approach to the problem is not working and the current guidelines are not being implemented effectively,” he said.

“The PASOO is a medical society that pioneers the prevention and control of obesity and its complications through education, research, and advocacy. Our vision is to have an obesity risk-free nation. The issues and challenges we face today are to address obesity as a public health problem that requires public health solutions, understand knowledge gaps in addressing lifestyle diseases, encourage more involvement of communities, families and patients, and use of treatment options for appropriate patients,” he added.

Overweight and obesity are complex disorders involving chronic excess of food intake relative to the level of energy spent.

“One can determine whether he is obese or overweight by means of different parameters. This includes the body mass index (BMI), which is the most common tool and the most simple and convenient — using the height and weight of the person. Measurement of the waist circumference and the waist-to-hip ratio are useful tools to determine whether a person is obese and where the excess fat is located,” Jasul said.         

“There are many misconceptions about weight loss,” said Mirasol, PASOO board member and chief of the Weight Management Center/Endocrine Center at St. Luke’s Medical Center.

“One example is that large rapid weight loss is associated with poorer long-term weight outcomes and slow and steady is a better course. That is not necessarily true. Large rapid weight loss can actually be beneficial and move a patient to continue to lose more,” he added.

After sharing important and pertinent scientific weight loss strategies, the Rock the Fat Away advocacy was officially introduced to the media along with its first webisode (Web episode), a short informative video that is set to be launched on the Internet.

Lawyer Regina Castillo, a Xenical user, also shared her journey to healthy and sustainable weight loss, while Hyatt chef Kristine Oro conducted a cooking demo sharing healthy low-fat recipés.

To find out more about how you can Rock the Fat Away and start a healthier, more fit life, log on to www.newyou.com.ph or Facebook.com/clubnewyou.