New Healthy Drinks Act Is Proposed To Help Students Health In the Philippines

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To help decrease the increasing rates of obesity and ensure greater health for students in the Philippines, a congressman announced on Monday, March 13th, 2017 a Healthy Drinks bill for all public schools in the country.

The act hopes to improve the diet of over 21 million students in the country where more than 46,000 public schools will have to limit, if not ban, the sales of soft drinks and energy drinks in schools.

Ang Edukasyon, party-list Rep. Salvador Belaro explained to radio dzBB, that the World Health Organization (WHO) has encouraged banning or limiting sugary drinks, and now that sugary beverages are so cheap in Filipino schools, it has become a popular drink of choice for students during recess time.

However popular sugary drinks are for kids, they usually contain higher amounts than WHO’s recommended daily intake of around six teaspoons of sugar. Sugary beverages usually contain around 10 teaspoons of sugar and are linked to higher health risks for kids like tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and unhealthy weights.

Although the Department of Education prohibited the sale of sugary drinks back in 2007, Belaro said students are still being sold these beverages in public schools mainly in the Metro Manila area and he hopes to extend his bill to include private schools.

To learn more about this healthy school proposal, click here.

 

By The Numbers By The Numbers

74

percent

of Latino kids have had a sugary drink by age 2 (vs. 45% of white kids)

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