Dance for health, lose the potbelly

MANILA, Philippines - Dance that potbelly away.

After “Gangnam Style,” Health Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag is dancing anew, this time to the late ’60s hit song “Build Me Up, Buttercup” to launch a campaign against large bellies.

“One way to reduce your waistline is through dancing. It’s actually our plan that if we have big advocacies on lifestyle, (dancing) will be our lead activity to launch the campaign. We call that ‘Dance for Health’,” he said in an interview.

In launching the Department of Health (DOH)’s drive against the use of firecrackers during the New Year revelry, Tayag hitched onto the phenomenal popularity of the Korean dance craze “Gangnam Style.”

Imitating Korean singer Psy’s moves and getup, Tayag went around schools and communities, and even appeared on television to promote the anti-firecracker awareness drive.

This time, the DOH has embarked on “Buttercup” in promoting its weight loss program dubbed “Belly Gud for Health,” initially launched among the agency’s rank and file last year, and recently among its top officials.

“Buttercup,” a popular song released in 1968, was revived in the 1980s and in 2003, and was used as a soundtrack in several movies.

For this year, the program is a six-month challenge among DOH executives to reduce the circumference of their waist by undergoing nutrition and physical activity, counseling, healthy diet, aerobic and isometric exercises, and stress management.

For males, the desirable waist circumference is less than 90 centimeters and less than 80 centimeters for females.

“To end the program, ‘Buttercup’ was played. It was just selected for that particular occasion but it was never intended for that. But what’s happening now is that it has becoming the program’s anthem,” said Tayag.

He expressed hope that the “Dance for Health” campaign would be adopted in offices and schools to encourage Filipinos to observe a healthy lifestyle.

Tayag’s dancing prowess had been witnessed by global health experts during the 6th Bi-regional Scientific Conference held in Bali, Indonesia where he grooved to Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger.”

He also introduced “Jai Ho” dance steps to show the proper way of hand washing during the outbreak of H1N1 in 2009, and employed One Direction’s hit single “What Makes You Beautiful” for an anti-HIV/AIDS campaign in Quezon City in July last year.

 Tayag also swayed to “Waka Waka,” the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, during the 6th Leadership and Management in Public Health Practice event last year. He led delegates to the Inter-Regional Malaria Summit in Banaue in dancing “Louder.”

 Because of his growing popularity, the official had been asked several times if he has plans of running for any elective post. To this, he always answered in the negative.

 The 54-year-old doctor gave assurance that he is always ready to move his feet and body to the music to help raise health awareness.