Manila: A health advocate is pushing for policies to improve the food environment to promote a healthy diet. In a media forum organized by the Department of Health on Thursday, Jeline Marie Corpuz, head of the Food Policy Development and Advocacy Imagine Law, said eating healthy is a challenge because the environment is not conducive to healthy eating.

According to Philippines News Agency, the advocate emphasized the need for sodium reduction, proposing a reformulation to gradually alter food formulas. Corpuz highlighted that Filipino sodium consumption is double the World Health Organization's recommended limit of 2,000 milligrams per day. She stated that the proposed policy aims to facilitate easier access to a healthy food environment.

Another focus of the advocacy is healthy public food procurement. Corpuz urged the government to ensure public funds are spent on healthy food, advocating for a standard on the sodium content of publicly acquired food. Furthermore, the group is pushing for warning labels and marketing restrictions on the front of products.

Corpuz pointed out the significant impact the food environment has on non-communicable diseases, noting that high sodium intake is a major cause of hypertension. She explained that hypertension, often referred to as a silent disease, contributes to other conditions, such as heart disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD). From January to August 2024, there were 60,253 deaths due to heart disease among Filipinos, while in 2021, seven million Filipinos were affected by CKD.