With an increasing number of Filipinos now working from home since it became necessary during the pandemic, doctors and other health experts on Wednesday warned that physical inactivity could increase the risk of various diseases, such as diabetes.
‘When we say work from home (WFH), that usually means sitting down. And when you’re sitting down, there’s no physical activity. As they say, sitting is the new smoking. It’s like a vice when you’re always just sitting down,’ Dr. Luzviminda Katigbak, president of the Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity.
Speaking during a press conference held in commemoration of World Diabetes Day, Katigbak said controlling one’s weight is important as it helps prevent diabetes, noting that obesity leads to a higher risk of the disease.
Philippine College of Physicians president Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus Jr. echoed the statement, noting that 60 percent of Filipino adults were found to be physically inactive based on a study by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-FNRI).
According to a 2023 report by the DOST-FNRI, 7.5 percent of Filipinos aged 20 to 59 years old have high fasting blood glucose, which could lead to type 2 diabetes. The study also found that 39.8 percent of Filipino adults are overweight or classified as obese 2.
The report also noted that people living in urban areas tend to have high fasting blood glucose, at 8.8 percent, compared to those living in rural areas at only 6.4 percent.
‘If you are usually inactive, what will happen to the food you eat? It will not be used by your body, it will not be used by your muscles. It will be stored in your fats and therefore, that will add to your risk of developing diabetes,’ Nicodemus said.
The doctor explained that physical inactivity is one of the ‘modifiable’ risks of diabetes, which refers to the contributing factors of the disease that can still be changed, such as one’s lifestyle. ‘Unmodifiable’ risks, on the other hand, are factors that cannot be controlled, including a person’s family history and age.
These modifiable risks contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, the more common form of the disease, according to Dr. Lora May Tin Hay, president of the Philippine College of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism.
She stressed that type 2 diabetes is preventable or, at the very least, can be delayed ‘if the environment we live in supports healthful food choices, regular exercise, and the avoidance of things that are harmful to the body, then we can avoid the development of diabetes.’
‘Diabetes doesn’t just affect individuals-it impacts the way we work and the way our businesses perform,’ Dr. Fatma Tiu, president of Diabetes Philippines, said in a separate media roundtable conducted also on Tuesday.
‘When employees are constantly stressed, skip meals, or sit for hours without physical activity, we create the perfect environment for diabetes to thrive. That makes this a workplace issue as much as it is a public health issue,’ she added.
Dr. Sean Aquino, medical officer III of the noncommunicable diseases prevention and control division under the Department of Health, said a 2019 study funded by the UN Development Program and the World Health Organization found that the Philippine government loses around P700 billion annually due to costs incurred from noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes.
He said this amount includes direct costs, such as hospitalization and medical fees, as well as indirect costs, such as the loss of income due to people being sick.
For his part, Dr. Reynaldo Rosales, treasurer of Diabetes Philippines, said small changes in the workplaces can yield major benefits in addressing diabetes. This includes regular checkups, healthy food and options as well as activity breaks for employees during their work day.
Other workplaces interventions, such as fitness programs and nutrition education, can also significantly reduce absenteeism and prevent long-term complications.
The doctors also stressed the importance of regular blood tests especially for those with a higher risk of diabetes, given how many people tend to be asymptomatic, leading to delays in diagnosis.