IN line with the celebration of Nutrition Month, the Mandaue City Council drafted a resolution promoting the consumption of root crops and other alternatives to rice, which is being implemented by the Regional Nutrition Committee of the National Nutrition Council in the Central Visayas.
Councilor Raul Cabahug V, who sponsored the draft resolution, said in a press briefing yesterday that the city has an increasing number of lifestyle diseases, thus the need to address this concern in the most cost-efficient manner.
Studies have shown that root crops are a low-glycemic-index source of energy, antioxidants and other vitamins, and can therefore aid in the prevention or control of the growth of lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
Cabahug said in the resolution that Central Visayas has an abundant supply of root crops, making it a relatively more affordable alternative to rice.
“We need to have a guide to proper diet to avoid diseases,” said Cabahug in Cebuano.
He added that Mandaue City has recognized its duty to promote the health and well-being of its constituents through programs that promote proper nutrition, and it also acknowledges the importance of the objective and the potential advantages that will result from such program.
Dr. Edna Seno, Mandaue City health officer, revealed that they have already brought down the malnutrition rate among the children in the city by 2 percent.
However, she said that obesity among children ages five to eight has increased in number.