by Franklin P. Gomapon

DIPOLOG CITY — City and municipal nutrition officers of Zamboanga del Norte are now urging the parents to give their children fortified foods.

Alarmed by the latest results of the national nutrition survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) showing that 32.4 percent of children aged 5-10 years old were underweight and 33.9 were under-height, the nutrition officers have recommended that the parents give their children foods fortified with iron, iodine and vitamin A.

Dr. Domiciano Talaboc, municipal nutrition action officer of Polanco town, disclosed that “micronutrient deficiency is prevalent among children aged 5-10 years old.”

“Children, who lack essential nutrients and vitamins such as iron, iodine, vitamin A and others, do not perform well in school,” Talaboc said.

He explained that people who lack iron usually feel tired and sleepy because of insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain. Similarly, iodine plays a very important role in the human nervous system as it is responsible for bringing signals to the brain.

Talaboc also urged the public to always look for “Sangkap Pinoy” seals when buying canned goods or processed foods. Food stuffs with “Sangkap Pinoy” seals indicate that they are fortified with essential nutrients and vitamins.

The government agencies advocating for proper nutrition like the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Nutrition Council (NNC), DOST and others are one in saying that “nutrition plays a vital role in preventing diseases for poor nutrition limits the body’s ability to resist infection.”

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Zambo Norte nutrition officers eye fortified foods to combat malnutrition