City denies having the most number of underweight kids

CEBU, Philippines - Contrary to earlier reports, Cebu City ranks 11th in having the highest number of underweight children among 16 cities in Central Visayas.

Cebu City Nutrition Council denied reports that Cebu City topped the trends in the nutrition status of underweight children in Region 7 last year, which was backed by the data of the National Nutrition Council.

Based on survey results, Cebu City has only 295 underweight children (from 1,133 in 2013) and 37 severely underweight (from 132) or 3.64 percent out of the 11,755 enrollees.

Of the 11, 755 children, 121 of them are overweight (from 245) while the 11,3012 have normal weight (from 10,245).

The preschoolers weighed were between the age of zero and 71 months.

Cebu City Nutrition Program Coordinator Emma Seville said pre-valence rate of underweight children has decreased after several interventions by the city and Department of Social Welfare and Deve-lopment-7.

These undertaking are feeding program and information dissemination on nutrition education for parents, which contributed to the decrease of malnourished children in the city, said Seville.

 “There is a mass improvement on the nutritional status of the preschoolers. To help eradicate malnourished children, duna ta’y nutrition intervention like giving Vitamin A supplements every April and October and de-worming,” she said.  (FREEMAN)