A nutrition researcher at the University of Washington found that the most reliable predictor of obesity is a person’s wealth. Logic would tell us that it is the poor who suffer from a shortage of calories, not an excess. So how is it that the people with the least amount of money to spend on food are the ones most likely to be overweight?

The reason is that one could buy the most calories for a cheaper price among the processed food and soft drink aisles of the supermarket. Processed foods are more “energy dense” than fresh foods: they contain less water and fiber but have more fat and sugar, which makes them both less filling and more fattening.  These particular calories also happen to be the least healthful ones, which is why we call them “junk.”

This results directly in “hidden hunger” or vitamin and mineral deficiency, the most widespread cause of malnutrition in the world today. Micronutrient deficiency does not result in hunger as we traditionally know it, but it strikes at the core of one’s health and vitality. It has devastating effects, such as stunted mental and physical growth.

The current economics of food dictates that if you are on a low budget, the most rational strategy is to eat badly. But that should not be the case. The truth is that eating vitamin- and mineral-rich vegetables is the most sound and cost-effective way to eating healthy.

A higher consumption of vegetables will supply the body’s nutrient needs such as calcium, ferrous, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins C and A. It is the solution micronutrient deficiency, which can occur in both overweight and underweight children.

Sadly, a 2007 study by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) on the changing eating habits of Filipino children revealed they are now eating less vegetables and more food with empty calories. The same study said the consumption of vegetables has declined by more than 50 percent from 1978 to 2003.

The influence of adult members of the family has a lot to do with children’s eating habits. Children eat what their parents eat, says the study. Therefore, we need to remind parents of the simple but often forgotten fact: eating vegetables is the way to good health. That is why I chose to build a massive campaign on this.

Oh My Gulay! or OMG! takes inspiration from highly successful awareness campaigns such as ONE.org and Al Gore’s The Inconvenient Truth, but this time tackling the equally important issue of malnutrition.

The campaign includes print, music, TV, DVD, and online media, tapping popular artists to lend their names and talent to the cause.

It is a call-to-action to address the problem of hidden hunger. It is a simple, powerful, and urgent message that talks about solving micronutrient deficiency by eating vegetables. It teaches kids, in an accessible and fun way, about the health benefits of eating vegetables.

Promoting healthy eating will go a long way towards ensuring our children’s future.

Email: edgardo_angara@hotmail.com Website: www.edangara.com