By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
Finally, our government recognizes that “There has been a shift in the dietary pattern of Filipinos in terms of quality and quantity over the years…” (National Nutrition Council Talking Points for 2017 Nutrition Month). This thick document has a wealth of information which I started to share with you last week, dear readers. Well, in the Cordillera, we have been saying that, clearly, we have changed our indigenous diet and adopted with glee the western diet. It’s a glaring change here in the Cordillera because we are small communities and we know each one so well that we even know what each one eats. I mean, you know, Igorots don’t build high walls around their houses and we even share a lot meals together as a clan and as a community.
Our indigenous diet of hand-pound rice, beans, camote and camote leaves has been replaced by well-milled white rice, so much pork, frozen foods and eggs and bread. Likewise, what has happened and what is happening to us has happened in other parts of the Philippines and in other parts of the world. But, of course! If hotdog and frozen foods has reached the remote barrio of Pandayan then surely, it has reached Manila first. In this government document I am referring to, there’s a table of results of national surveys done in the Philippines in 1978, 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2008 and 2013 that showed an increase in the consumption of meat and meat products and eggs among Filipinos. In their survey, the meat consumption in 2003 was almost double that 10 years earlier (1993). If you are a senior citizen like me, then you will certainly agree to this observation. And you will also agree with me that compared to when we were young, meat consumption now has multiplied a hundred times. We had chicken when there was a birthday in the family- one small piece each (it was native and organic). Pork was in the form of “etag” and so it was eaten sparingly. If there was fresh pork, it was available during “babayas” (mass weddings). Beef was available only when a cow fell down the mountain. You ate eggs only when you were sick or you were pregnant and in hard labor. Meat and eggs, 40 years ago, was a rare item on the dining table. And, wonder of wonders!, despite this seemingly “kawawang” situation, we were well. And we, mga probinsiyano, were strong! Any contradicting opinion?
Government authorities, however, didn’t see that we are well and strong. Our western colonizers, foreign consultants and city visitors would walk to our remote villages and find that we are only eating camote, beans and rice and then they conclude that we have a “deficient” diet and “oh my, how poor these people are”. They did not realize that we carried their heavy packs up the mountain and we didn’t run out of breath climbing those mountains while they could barely carry themselves. At times, we even carried them because they couldn’t walk the distance! They ride in horses and motor vehicles and then they say, “Poor probinsyano, walking from farm to market and carrying all those heavy load.” Shouldn’t they have asked about our diet because how amazing that such a small frame could be so strong? We must be eating magic food. If they realized that, we wouldn’t be what we are today- overweight, hypertensive and so weak we prefer to ride than to walk.
These authorities did not see the magic in our lives. What they saw was our small frame, our uncombed hair, our bare feet, our “dungit”. “Pues, these people need to drink milk and eat meat and eggs. Camote? It makes you toot. Here, eat bread. Here is soap, take a bath.” Industry was quick to respond. Of course, we had free goodies at first. But that’s how you do marketing. Give free samples. Isn’t that the same modus operandi of drug pushers?
This National Nutrition Council document mentioned above also reports “Pedro, Benavides and Barba (200) reported that the changes in the dietary patterns of Filipinos may be attributed to (a) increasing urbanization with association to increasing Westernized food habits such as high fat diets, processed foods and consumption of refined carbohydrates;
(b) globalization with increased trade liberalization, making available a wide variety of processed and fast foods;
(c) increased frequency of eating away from home;
(d) use of computers and computer games; and
(e) influence of mass media.
Aggressive marketing could also be a culprit. Marketing of unhealthy foods near schools is rampant based on a study conducted by UP Manila. The study showed that 85% of foods with outdoor advertisement fell into the unhealthy foods classification and most marketed food and beverages were softdrinks, energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, and other sugar-sweetened drinks. Greater commercial exposure has also been found to be associated with positive attitudes towards unhealthy foods.”
Okay, the writing on the wall is as clear as a bright sunny day. Health authorities now recognize that we have a big problem of unhealthy diet developed over time and making such big business. Meaning, these unhealthy food production and distribution is such a big industry – meaning they have big money. Big money like mining companies. In this country, if you have big money, you have big power. So meantime that we are waiting for government to regulate the food industry to ensure that consumers will not get sick in the long term after consuming their products, then the practical thing to do is to be the wisest consumer and be a food producer. If you consume what you produce, you know what’s going inside your body. I asked a lot of people if they know what hotdog is made of and they don’t know and yet they gladly buy it. If you cannot produce your food, then read the labels. If the letters are so small or there’s no label and you don’t know the producer, then don’t buy it. Nobody but nobody is forcing you to buy it. There is always beans and “lutod” (camote leaves), carrots and cabbage. Believe me, we go to Mindanao, to the Visayas and we are served chopsuey.
So what if we know why we changed our diet? So that we know that we were hooked into it. And like drug dependents, we can always decide to cut off the bad food habit. ***
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“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
