DOH launches dance exercise campaign vs smoking

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) launched yesterday a dance exercise campaign to discourage more young Filipinos from taking up smoking.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said “Jam Steps” aims to encourage Filipinos, particularly the youth, to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

“Healthy lifestyles must be taught and instilled in our youth to make them less prone to become smokers that could lead to early onset of smoking-related non-communicable diseases,” he said.

Ona said the Ang Batang Pinoy Movement in Bacolod City developed and performed the Jam Steps aerobic dance, which can be integrated into any kind of exercise.

“It can also be taught easily to children, making them advocates of healthy lifestyle at an early age,” he noted.

Other health officials have performed the aerobic dance exercise, Ona said.

The campaign was launched at the Quezon City Elliptical Circle.

Eduardo Janairo, DOH-National Capital Region director, said the campaign is also their way to press for the passage of the Sin Tax Bill.

“Instead of leading a marching protest and shouting in the streets, we will air our concern through the innovative dance exercise to draw interest and invite people to join us to promote healthier lifestyle for all,” he said.

The bill’s enactment would bring more funds for the effective and efficient implementation of the national program to prevent non-communicable diseases, including those related to smoking, he added.

Janairo said it is necessary to encourage and promote healthy lifestyle activities to the youth.

“By instilling the importance of healthy living and involving our children to make healthier preferences, many chronic diseases can be slowed or prevented in the future,” he said.

The World Health Organization has projected that non-communicable diseases would account for 70 percent of deaths and 60 percent of disease burden by 2020.

In the Philippines, 90 percent of Filipinos are suffering from one or more of the risks factors of non-communicable diseases namely smoking, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and physical inactivity as shown in the 6th National Nutrition and Health Survey of 2003.

The DOH ranked hypertension and heart diseases as the 5th and 6th leading causes of morbidity in the country.

Lifestyle related diseases like cardiovascular diseases, COPD, diabetes, cancer and kidney disorders are among the top leading causes of death today, the DOH said.

Recent studies also showed an increasing number of Filipino youth getting hooked on cigarettes, and that they are starting at an early age.