Group lauds Palace directives to put warnings on sugary drinks

“Diabetes is now indeed considered an epidemic,” she said. Photo by Andrea/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

MANILA–The Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (PSEDM) on Thursday welcomed the directive of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to place health warnings on the labels of sugar-sweetened beverages.

“Front of pack labels with warnings will be helpful to influence consumers to at least consider the nutritional value of the drink first before buying it,” PSEDM president Dr. Mia Fojas said in an interview with the media.

Fojas said the government’s move is helpful and timely, considering the growing rate of diabetes cases in the country.

“Diabetes is now indeed considered an epidemic,” she said.

PSEDM data shows that there were 3.5 million diagnosed cases in 2016, and went up to about 3.7 million in 2017.

There is a projected 3.8 million Filipinos that are still undiagnosed for diabetes, the data reveals.

One of the reasons attributed to the prevalence of diabetes is the person’s lifestyle, wherein he or she usually prefers to eat on processed or fast food or junk food which are usually high in calories and sugar.

“Working individuals are sometimes already tired at the end of the day that they usually eat snacks and sweetened sodas to unwind,” Fojas said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes is one of the four major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that cause deaths worldwide. However, it can be be prevented through lifestyle change such as control of weight; exercise/physical activities; preventing sugary drinks, among others.

On Wednesday, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez said President Duterte wants health warnings to be placed on the labels of sugar-sweetened beverages so that the public can also be aware of the risks associated in taking them.

This, Lopez said, is aimed at informing the public of the risks posed by excessive consumption of products, such as energy drinks, soft drinks, and powdered juice drinks.