MALNUTRITION and overnutrition are two prevalent problems in Central Visayas Region. Instances of malnutrition in the region were recorded to be higher than the national average.
According to the 2015 National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, 22.8 percent of 100 children (ages 0 to 5) in Central Visayas were underweight, while the national average was 21.5 percent.
Cases of stunting, or being too short for one's age, which represents the presence of long-term malnutrition of children, also increased in Central Visayas from 34.7 percent in 2013 to 37.7 percent in 2015.
These figures were also higher than the 33.4 percent national average.
The same survey indicated that seven percent of the children were wasted, or too thin for their height.
Overnutrition is also imminent in the region, recorded to be three out of 100 cases, a 2.6 percent prevalence rate, in 2015.
For people 20 years old and older, the number of those with elevated fasting blood glucose (which indicates diabetes mellitus) was at 4.9 percent, elevated blood pressure was at 21.4 percent, and those with high cholesterol were recorded at 14.6 percent.
These rates were measured out of every 100 people in 2015.
Cebu Province ranked first in the region with 6.21 percent (six out of 100) of undernutrition cases in pre-school students. Negros Oriental followed with 5.84 percent, Siquijor with 4.46 percent, and Bohol with 3.97 percent.
In 2016, a minimal decrease of malnutrition cases in Central Visayas was observed by the 2016 Operation Timbang (OPT) Plus. For underweight children, the 4.91 percent in 2015 went down to 4.6 percent in 2016. Stunting fell to 12.64 percent, and wasting to 3.51 percent.
OPT Plus collects the data of the weight and height measurement of all pre-schoolers in a community who are below five years old every year so as to quantify and locate malnourished children.
The data is used to plan the local nutrition action, and is also used to identify, which areas should be prioritized in the community.
