Baseline Survey on the Physiological Fuel Value of Canteen Lunch in Pamantasan Ng Lungsod Ng Maynila

Baseline Survey on the Physiological Fuel Value of Canteen Lunch in

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila

I. Introduction

A. Background of the Study

According to the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake of Filipinos, standard amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals should be present in meals. These guidelines should help in maintaining a healthy well-being through proper consumption of foods and could also serve as a solution in alleviating malnutrition, a huge problem in the country (Barba and Cabrera, 2008).

School plays an important role in creating awareness and disseminating knowledge on proper nutrition. Aside from this, half of the total conscious hours of students are spent in school or universities which usually covers the time for a meal or two; thus, proper foods should also be present in it since huge amounts of daily food intake of students usually happen at school. This means that the type of food in school plays an essential role in their nutrition (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). In Philippines, policies such as DepEd Order No. 8 of 2007 have been formulated to regulate and manage the foods that are being sold in school. In these policies, it is said that only nutrient-rich foods with adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals should be sold in schools (DepEd, 2007).

The interest on nutritional status of college students has come about because of the growing number of young adults that experience different nutrition related problems. An example of which is the increasing number of overweight Filipino adolescents and young adults in the period of ten years from 1993 to 2003. Based on the study of Double Burden of under and over nutrition of FNRI, from 20%, the percentage of overweight and obese Filipino adults rose to 24% with more females than males who are affected (6th NNS, 2003).

Beside overnutrition, more recent findings about undernutrition of adolescents was found. The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) survey in 2008 showed that malnutrition exists among Filipino adolescents. The said survey revealed that there are more underweight than overweight adolescents and trends show that the prevalence of overweight among adolescents has decreased from 4.8% in 2005 to 4.6% in 2008 according to the FNRI (2008). On the other hand, the FNRI also reported that prevalence of underweight among adolescents has increased significantly from 16% in 2005 to 17% in 2008.

B. Statement of the Problem

In the Philippines, there is a well established set of guidelines for the recommended nutrient intake, however, it is not observed whether this nutritional guidelines were met by college canteens. It is therefore a question whether the available lunch in the school canteens suffice the energy and nutrient requirement of the students, primarily college students

C. Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study will only include the canteen lunch in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. The data will rely on the data collectors' observation of the food items and its amount per serving using household measurements. Analytical determination of the nutrient content of each food items was not utilized. Lunch sold outside PLM will not be included. Dessert, drinks, snacks, and other food items were not included. The quality of food items was not assessed.

D. Significance of the Problem

Globally, the number of overweight and obese adults is already in epidemic proportions according to the World Health Organization. According to the 2005 WHO projections, approximately 1.6 billion adults were overweight and at least 400 million adults were obese as classified by their body mass index. The need to immediately address the problem of overweight and obesity arose because these conditions are also identified as a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability (WHO Overweight and Obesity Fact Sheet, 2005). Cardio- vascular diseases, and other health risks such as hypertension, type II diabetes, dyslipidemia, and ischemic heart disease may arise to overweight individuals because of an excess fat and or carbohydrate intake.

Overnutrition and undernutrition can have negative consequences for both the short and the long terms. Thus, monitoring of the nutrition status of adolescents, which comprised largely by college students will be of good contribution in fighting for this given nutritional problems. One of which, is identifying the nutrient content of lunches taken by college students.

After searching digital libraries and online databases, no data on nutrient content of canteen lunch and its contribution in the RENI of college students is available. Such inadequacies in the existing data present a dilemma in determining whether school canteens specifically in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila could provide for meals that are sufficient in nutritional content and accord to the standards set for RENI by the FAO-UN.

II. Review of Related Literature

Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI)

The RENI is periodically evaluated and updated to keep pace with new knowledge on energy and nutrient requirements and metabolism. The information are derived from a review of current evidences, principally the UN-FAO/WHO's 2002 human vitamin and mineral requirements and the US-Institute of Medicine-Food and Nutrition Board (IOM-FNB)'s series of Dietary Reference Intakes, taking into consideration applicability in and achievability among specific population groups. For the RENI for Filipino college students, in the age of 16 to 29, refer to Appendix C.

Student's eating patterns and lifestyles

Eating patterns are frequently erratic in adolescents, and this may be a common factor of nutritional risk irrespective of the area. When there are no major economic or food security constraints, food choices are primarily determined by psycho-social factors. Personal preferences take precedence over eating habits learned at home as adolescents progressively take control of what they eat, where, and how. The following features are quite typical of adolescents, and have a bearing on diets: search for identity; struggle for independence and acceptance; concern about appearance; vulnerability to commercial and peer pressure; and limited