Page 155 - GHES-2-1

Global Health Econ Sustain Total sugar consumption Philippines

of diabetes and obesity by promoting a healthy diet and data from a 2008 nationally representative survey. The
reducing the intake of added and free sugars (WHO, 2013). total sugars were assumed to include all sugars in a food
Added sugar refers to the monosaccharides (such as glucose or beverage from any source, including those naturally
and fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose or table occurring (such as fructose in fruit and lactose in milk)
sugar) added into food and drinks by the manufacturer, and those added to foods, as the food composition data
cook, or consumer, while free sugar refers to the naturally did not distinguish added sugars from naturally occurring
present sugar in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit juice ones (Vos et al., 2017).
concentrates (WHO, 2015). In contrast, naturally present The objectives of this study were to: (i) Estimate the level
sugar in intact fruits and naturally present lactose in human of total sugar intake and identify major sources of sugar in the
milk, cow/goat milk, and unsweetened milk products are diets of Filipino infants (aged 7 – 11 months old) and young
not considered free sugar(Vos et al., 2017).

children and adolescents (aged 1 – 18 years old); and (ii)
The American Heart Association (AHA) stated that examine the change in consumption of minimally processed
“added sugars contribute to a diet that is energy-dense but and processed food categories in Filipino infants, young
nutrient-poor and increase the risk of developing obesity, children, and adolescents between 2008 and 2013, as a proxy
cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity-related measure to estimate change in sugar intake during the period.
cancers, and dental caries” (Vos et al., 2017). The WHO
recommended that adults and children reduce their daily 2. Methods
intake of free sugars to <10% of the total energy intake to 2.1. Study sample
reduce the risk of NCDs and a further reduction to below
5% of total energy for additional benefits (WHO, 2015). The Philippines National Nutrition Survey is a nationwide
The European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, survey conducted every 5 years to assess the country’s
Hepatology, and Nutrition recommended that “intakes nutritional status, whereby anthropometric, dietary,
of free sugars should be reduced and minimized with a clinical, and biochemical data are collected. The food
desirable goal of below 5% energy intake in children and consumption component examines the food and nutrient
adolescents aged 2 – 18 years old,… intake should probably intakes of both households and individuals. A stratified
be even lower in infants and toddlers below 2 years old” multi-stage sampling design is commonly employed. The
(Fidler Mis et al., 2017). In addition, the AHA reported the first stage is a random selection of a primary sampling
association of added sugars with increased cardiovascular unit (e.g., a barangay [village]) from a master sample,
disease risk in children through increased energy intake, representing the country’s 17 regions and 79 provinces.
increased adiposity, and dyslipidemia. Therefore, the AHA The successive stages include the selection of enumeration
recommended that children aged 2 – 18 years old consume areas and specific households within these areas. The
th
≤25 g (100 calories or ≈ 6 teaspoons [tsp]) of added sugars 7 National Nutrition Survey, conducted in 2008 by the
per day and avoid added sugars for children below 2 years department of science and technology food and nutrition
old (Vos et al., 2017). research institute (DOST-FNRI), included a total of 4880
households, comprising 22,176 individuals (Food and
In this regard, many countries should analyze their local Nutrition Research Institute Philippines, 2008). For the
dietary patterns to effectively reduce the public’s sugar intake present study, data from 9901 individuals, aged between
to the recommended levels. In particular, the Philippines 7 months old and 18 years old, were analyzed.
has been identified as a diabetes “hot spot” in Southeast
Asia as the sugar intake among Filipinos has not been 2.2. Data collection
closely monitored (Cudis, 2021). The food and agriculture Dietary data were collected by DOST-FNRI using two non-
organization statistics (FAOSTAT) revealed that the amount consecutive 24-h food recalls, wherein all food and drinks
of sugar available for consumption in 2019 was 19.4 kg/capita, ingested by the subjects within the 24 h were identified
down from 20.48 kg/capita in 2010 (FAOSTAT, 2024). accordingly (e.g., through face-to-face interviews) (Food
Despite this, sweet snack sales increased by 13% from 2014 to and Nutrition Research Institute, Philippines, 2014). Portion
2019 (Department of Health et al., 2021). Likewise, an online sizes of consumed foods were estimated using household
market estimated projected growth in the confectionery weights and measures (i.e., cups, tablespoons, size, and
market in the Philippines by 6.81% annually (CAGR 2024 number of pieces). Food weights were obtained from a
– 2028), with an average growth in volume amounting to compilation called the “List of Household Food Weights
8.0 kg per person in 2024 (Statista, 2023). and Measures,” or through actual sample weighing. The list
Herein, the present study aimed to examine the sugar of food weights is continuously updated as more products
intake levels and its sources in the Philippines using become available in the market. Another compilation,

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2060