Four out of 10 Filipinos are overweight because of insufficient exercise and poor eating habits, according to a survey commissioned by the parent company of Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company.
“We were kinda concerned and a little bit alarmed about the results that we found out,” newly appointed Philam Life chief executive Ariel Cantos said in a news briefing in Makati City.
AIA Group Ltd., the parent company of Philam Life, commissioned the Healthy Living Index Survey early this year to comprehend how people feel about their health and shed light on current health trends in 15 Asia-Pacific markets.
The study, which had 800 respondents in the Philippines, shows alarming results for the country, which slipped from 6th to 9th among 15 markets in terms of wellness. The Philippines also ranked below the regional average with a score of 61 out of a possible 100.
Thomas Isaac, director of Intuit Research which conducted the study, said while Filipinos were aware of their poor health choices, little was being done to improve it.
Results show that 80 percent of adults in the Philippines say their health is not as good as five years ago.
Filipinos exercise for an average of 2.1 hours a week, lower than the regional average of three hours.
Isaac said Filipinos were among the sleep-deprived in the region with a sleep deficit of 1.4 hours. Filipino adults want to get 8.2 hours of sleep a night, but only sleep 6.8 hours on average.
About 84 percent of those surveyed said they tended to eat while distracted and 81 percent admitted to eating unhealthy snacks between meals and 71 percent had their dinners close to bed time.
Internet addiction is also a threat to healthy living. Filipinos listed less time for sleep, less time for exercise and bad posture as three negative impacts of internet addiction.
Isaac said with 30 percent of Filipinos standing as pre-obese and 14 percent as obese, these numbers were not expected to be reduced, given that only a handful of Filipinos wanted to change their daily routine.
“What is interesting and concerning is that only 25 percent said they want to lose weight compared to the regional average of 48 percent,” he said.
Cantos said as a real life company, Philam Life was committed to addressing the real life needs of customers and was actively helping Filipinos attain total wellness by being not only financially prepared but also by staying active “so they can live longer, healthier and better lives. ”
Philam Life launched its first revolutionary insurance plan that rewards its beneficiaries for living a healthier lifestyle.
Cantos said the new product called Philam Vitality was a stark contrast from the traditional life insurance that centered on the death of a policyholder.
“We’re making it easier for people to think about wellness and we reward them accordingly,” Cantos said.
Philam Vitality motivates Filipinos to know more about their health, improve their lifestyle choices and reward them with each step they take toward wellness.
Philam Vitality head Kats Cajucom said “poor lifestyle choices lead to more deaths worldwide.”
With 95 percent of Filipinos admitting they can do more to improve their health, Philam Life is hopeful that through the new wellness program, more and more people would be motivated to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
“Health is very important. It is a personal responsibility for the individual to take care of his health and find a partner like Philam Life to address those challenges,” said Cantos.