Half of Cordilleran adults now OBESE: Region CAR posts 2nd highest obesity rate in PH

Survey results showed that 50.6 percent of adults in CAR are obese, placing the region behind only the National Capital Region (NCR), which recorded the highest obesity rate at 52.7 percent. Central Luzon ranked third with 49.6 percent.

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – More than half of adults in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are now classified as obese, making the region the second-highest in the country in terms of adult obesity prevalence, according to the 2025 Updating of the Nutritional Status of Filipino Children and Other Population Groups conducted by the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).

Survey results showed that 50.6 percent of adults in CAR are obese, placing the region behind only the National Capital Region (NCR), which recorded the highest obesity rate at 52.7 percent. Central Luzon ranked third with 49.6 percent.

The findings mean that one out of every two adults in the Cordillera is obese, highlighting a growing public health concern that experts warn could increase the risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and other chronic conditions.

Obesity is a long-term and complex disease characterized by excessive body fat that can negatively affect a person's physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life.

The survey also revealed a nationwide increase in obesity. Among adults aged 20 to 59, obesity prevalence rose from 39.8 percent in 2023 to 44.5 percent in 2025. Among adolescents, the rate increased from 12.5 percent to 15.6 percent, equivalent to roughly one in every six Filipino youths.

Meanwhile, CAR recorded an adolescent overweight and obesity prevalence of 19.7 percent, the third-highest among all regions in the country.

According to DOST-FNRI, the survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews from April 2025 to March 2026 across 118 survey areas nationwide.

The latest findings mirror previous health data in the region. In 2024, the Department of Health–Cordillera reported 91,164 obesity cases, including 70,613 obese individuals aged 20 to 59 and 20,551 senior citizens aged 60 and above.

Health officials have repeatedly emphasized the need for healthier diets, increased physical activity, and lifestyle changes to address the rising obesity trend and prevent obesity-related diseases in the region.