���State of the Art of Obesity Research in the Philippines: 1981

“State of the Art of Obesity Research in the Philippines: 1981-2011”
now in print
Rodolfo F. Florentino, MD, PhD
Vice-President, PASOO
Chairman-President, Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines
President, Osteoporosis Society of the Philippines
Background
Recognizing the value of country-specific research for national policy and
program formulation, PASOO recently undertook an exhaustive review of all
researches conducted among Filipinos on overweight and obesity between 1981 and
2011. Dr. Elizabeth Paz-Pacheco, the brains behind the project, recently led a large
group scientists, researchers and Endocrinology fellows, in this extensive
undertaking. This review has now been compiled and printed in a monograph, “State
of the Art of Obesity Research in the Philippines: 1981-2011” with the support of the
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD). The primary aim
of the review is to create a national registry for obesity researches conducted among
Filipinos in the Philippines and internationally, and provide a framework for
recommendations for research agenda setting for future obesity research,
intervention programs, and ultimately policy making. The monograph is intended for
researchers, health practitioners, and all those who are concerned in one way or
another in the control, management and treatment of obesity.
The Process
To come up with the monograph, an extensive and comprehensive search for
available data on obesity between 1981 and 2011 was painstakingly done by some
thirty members of the research team. Educational institutions, hospitals, professional
organizations, libraries, and government and private institutions were identified and
contacted through mail. Published local and international journals, as well as
unpublished researches and theses, were retrieved, and the authors were contacted
when necessary. After 8 months of searching and collecting information, a total of
217 articles were retrieved, analyzed and summarized, resulting in eight scientific
papers dealing with prevalence, risk factors, screening methodologies, treatment
options, and complications of obesity in both adults and children. The papers now
form the eight chapters of the monograph. After a careful review of all existing
obesity researches among Filipinos in the Philippines and overseas, the senior
members of the team agreed during a final forum on a list of areas considered priority
for further scientific investigation, forming the final chapter of the monograph.
Next Steps...
In the future, PASOO hopes to continue expanding the registry as a
continuing project of the association. Authors of scientific papers, treatises and
researches dealing with overweight and obesity among Filipinos are invited to submit
these to PASOO for addition to the data base.
The monograph is now available free at the PASOO Office in Medical Plaza
Ortigas to members of PASOO and related organizations, libraries, and teaching and
research institutions.