· 
, 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. NO. 2-3-45 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
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MANDATING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO ESTABLISH A RESEARCH 
CENTER ON OBESITY PREVENTION 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Overweight, as defined by the Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight 
and Obesity or PASOO, is increased body weight in relation to height, while obesity is 
the state of excessive amounts of fat in the body. 
In a nationwide nutrition survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research 
Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), it showed that 14 
percent of Filipinos 20 years old and above are overweight, while 2.6 percent are obese. 
Translated in absolute figures, there are 5.7 million Filipino adults who are either 
overweight or obese. 
According to Dr. Gary Syl, studies and statistics indicate that obesity is associated 
with increases in illness and death from diabetes mellitus, stroke, coronary artery disease, 
kidney and gallbladder disorders. The more overweight you are, the stronger this 
association becomes. Statistics suggest that if you are more than 40 percent overweight 
you are twice as likely to die of coronary artery disease as compared to a person who is 
not overweight. If you are 20 to 30 percent overweight, you may be three times more 
likely to die of diabetes. The risks seem higher when the excess weight is concentrated 
1 Obesity. <http://www.mb.com.ph/obesity>. Last accessed on 28 July 2014. 
1 


around the waist, and the ratio of the waist to the hip measurement is sometimes used to 
measure this risk. People with a high waist-to-hip ratio are at greater risk than those 
whose excess fat is distributed in the hip area. Obesity also contributes to high blood 
pressure, which is by itself a risk factor in both heart disease and stroke. If you have high 
blood pressure, you can reduce your blood pressure simply by losing weight. 
Studies show that obesity not only increases health risks but also reduces life 
expectancy. Potentially fatal conditions associated with obesity include Type 2 diabetes, 
coronary heart disease, cancers, and gall bladder disease. As many as 80 percent of 
people with Type 2 diabetes are obese at the time of diagnosis. Incidence of Type 2 
diabetes is particularly associated with central obesity or apple shape obesity and 
escalates significantly with increasing Body Mass Index (BMI). 
As overweight and obesity pose health problems to the country, people need to be 
informed of the risks, prevention, and treatment before productivity will be hampered by . 
poor health and loss of life. Thus, urgent passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 2 
2 This bill is patterned after New York State's Obesity Prevention Act. 
2 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. NO. 2a45 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
'14 
AUG -6 P 2 :02 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
1 
~Acr 
2 
MANDATING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO ESTABLISH A RESEARCH 
3 
CENTER ON OBESITY PREVENTION 
4 
5 
SECTION 1. Short title. - This bill shall be known and may be cited as the 
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"Obesity Prevention Act". 
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SECTION 2. Definition. - As used in this act, unless the context otherwise 
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requires, the term obesity shall mean the condition in which a person's body mass index 
1 0 
is at least thirty kilograms per meter squared, or where a person's body mass index is at 
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least twenty-seven kilograms per meter squared and the person suffers from one or more 
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of the following conditions or diseases: 
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1. Type II diabetes; 
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2. Impaired glucose tolerance; 
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3. Hyperinsulinemia; 
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4. Dyslipidemia; 
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5. Hypertension; 
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6. Cardiovascular disease; 
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7. Cerebrovascular disease; 
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8. Osteoarthritis of the hips or knees; 
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9. Sleep apnea; 
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10. Gastric reflux disease; or 
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11. Gall bladder disease. 
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" , 
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SECTION 3. Establishment of Research Center by the Department of Health. -
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The Obesity Prevention Research Center to be established by the Department of Health 
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(department) is authorized to sample and collect data on individual cases where obesity is 
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being actively treated and to analyze such data in order to evaluate the impact of treating 
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obesity. Such data collection and analysis shall include the following: 
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a. The effectiveness of existing methods for treating or preventing obesity; 
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b. The effectiveness of alternate methods for treating or preventing obesity; 
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c. The fiscal impact of treating or preventing obesity; 
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d. The compliance and cooperation of patients with various methods of treating 
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or preventing obesity; or 
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e. The reduction in serious medical problems associated with diabetes that 
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results from treating or preventing obesity. 
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SECTION 4. Fund. - The department is authorized to fund the research center 
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authorized in this act from gifts, grants, and donations 
from individuals, 
private 
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organizations, foundations, or any governmental unit; except that no gift, grant, or 
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donation may be accepted by the department if it is subject to conditions that are 
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inconsistent with this title or any other laws of this state. The department shall have the 
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power to direct the disposition of any such gift, grant, or donation for the purposes of this 
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title. 
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After completion of the research, the department shall submit a report and 
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supporting materials to the legislature by June first of the following year. 
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SECTION 5. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid 
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or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall 
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remain valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
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executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to 
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1 
or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended 
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accordingly. 
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SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
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its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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/dpm 
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