Agri party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee is batting to pass a bill mandating the public disclosure of nutritional information on menus of food service establishments to help address the problems of obesity, unhealthy diet, and inadequate nutrition among Filipinos.
If passed, House Bill No. 2421 would mandate food service establishments to put on their menus and menu boards—in a clear and conspicuous manner—nutritional information, he said.
While the existing system requires packaged foods to disclose nutritional facts, meals sold through food establishments contain no such disclosure, Lee said.
“The health-conscious must estimate or guess the nutritional content of meals in restaurants. Those who are less aware of the need for proper dieting are left oblivious to the nutritional values they intake, which would potentially cause detrimental effects on their health in the long run,” he said.
The measure would enable consumers to make more informed and healthier food choices, promote health awareness and proper dieting and assist consumers who are monitoring their diets or dealing with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, the lawmaker added.
In March the Department of Health, World Health Organization, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) raised alarm on the growing obesity in the Philippines, with 27 million Filipinos being overweight and obese.