Stronger food policies needed to combat obesity in the Philippines

UNICEF Philippines/2021/Joey Reyna

MANILA – On World Obesity Day 2025, the National Nutrition Council (NNC), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) call for stronger policies to prevent childhood overweight and obesity and ensure children grow up in healthier food environments. Obesity—now recognised as a chronic and relapsing disease linked to diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses—has tripled in recent decades. Nearly 1 in 10 children and almost 4 in 10 adults in the Philippines are now classified as overweight and obese, a level considered high by global standards.

Children are growing up in environments where unhealthy food is more accessible than nutritious options. Ultra-processed food products like sweetened cereals, packaged snacks, and flavored drinks flood the market while misleading marketing and the lack of better food choices shape eating habits early. A UNICEF study found that more than a third of packaged food for infants and young children contains added sugars or sweeteners. Among snacks like biscuits, 87 percent contain added sugars, yet no binding regulations exist to limit sugar content in food for young children.[1] In another study analysing over 1,000 social media ads on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube promoting 20 popular food products and brands for children and families, UNICEF found that 99 percent of these ads promoted unhealthy products[2], which violates WHO’s guidance on marketing food and non-alcoholic beverages to children[3] and policies to protect them from harmful impact advertising.[4]

Misleading nutrition claims make it harder for families to choose nutritious food. Many packaged products, including those for young children, carry health claims that obscure their actual nutritional content. Health experts and nutrition advocates have long called for stronger food policies, including Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling, to provide clear, transparent information, help families make informed choices, and reduce children's exposure to unhealthy products.

However, labeling alone will not curb the aggressive promotion of unhealthy food to children. Stronger food marketing regulations must be enforced. The sale of unhealthy food in schools and nearby areas must be strictly limited, with clear penalties for violations. Marketing unhealthy products to young children must be restricted, particularly those high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. Companies that do not comply should face stricter penalties, including higher fines and stricter advertising controls. The government must also dedicate sustained funding for nutrition programmes and regulatory enforcement to ensure long-term impact.

"As the lead agency on food and nutrition policy, NNC is committed to strengthening regulations that protect children's nutritional well-being," said NNC Executive Director Assistant Secretary Azucena Milana-Dayanghirang. "We continue to work with stakeholders, both public and private, to improve food and nutrition policies and programmes that will create environments where nutritious options are affordable and accessible to children and their families. The NNC will ensure that strategic actions reflected in the Strategic Plan in Addressing Obesity and Other Metabolic Disorders will be implemented and monitored. By doing so, we will achieve one of the target outcomes of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition of halting the increase in obesity in all age groups."

Beyond policy reforms, the private sector—including food manufacturers, retailers, and advertisers—must take greater responsibility in shaping healthier food environments. UNICEF urges companies to make available food options that are healthier – with the right type and amounts of sugar, fat, and salt; ensure transparent labeling; and stop the promotion of unhealthy products to children. Retailers can improve product selection, pricing, and placement to make healthier options more accessible, while restaurants and food outlets, including fast food chains, can expand nutritious meal choices and adjust portion sizes.

“The food industry plays a critical role in ensuring that children grow up with healthier food preferences,” said UNICEF Philippines Acting Representative Behzad Noubary. “We must work hand-in-hand in rethinking how food is produced, marketed, and made available to create an environment where nutritious options are within reach for every child, everywhere.”

UNICEF supports the government in addressing malnutrition through policy, maternal and child nutrition programmes, and strategies for improving food security. Through the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project, UNICEF helps local governments scale up nutrition services and strengthen collaboration across sectors.

WHO Representative Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus called for urgent policy action to curb obesity and improve nutrition standards. "WHO supports the urgent need to regulate unhealthy food marketing, improve labeling standards, promote healthy public food procurement, and eliminate industrially-produced trans fats to address obesity and prevent noncommunicable diseases. WHO extends its technical guidance to the government in developing evidence-based policies on addressing obesity and all forms of malnutrition,” he said.

The fight against childhood obesity requires decisive action. NNC, UNICEF, and WHO urge the government to increase funding for obesity prevention and strengthen food policies, including front-of-package labeling, stricter sugar regulations, and tighter food marketing laws. Policies must ban unhealthy food in schools, curb misleading advertising, and ensure public food programmes prioritise nutrition and sustainability. Investments in climate-resilient and healthy food environments are also critical to ensuring food security and protecting children from malnutrition. When food systems provide safe, nutritious, and sustainable options, every child has the chance to survive and thrive. #

[1] Data from the 2023 UNICEF-Consortium for Improving Complementary Foods in Southeast Asia Synthesis Report: https://www.unicef.org/eap/media/15121/file

[2] Data from the 2021 UNICEF study on unhealthy food marketing to children in the Philippines: https://www.unicef.org/philippines/media/2186/file/Unhealthy%20food%20marketing%20to%20children%20in%20the%20Philippines.pdf

[3] 2010 WHO set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241500210

[4] WHO policies to protect children from the harmful impact of food marketing https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240075412