Chap 4

1.1 NUTRITIONAL FACTS AND DIEATARY INFORMATION

.A. “I can choose healthier foods by using nutrition labels on food”

According to Dutta & Patel (2017), reading food labelling information is important to assist in making
informed choices of food. Increased diet related diseases may be related to increased consumption of
pre-packaged foods and inadequate awareness on use of food labeling information. Another study in
Iran found other factors such as small print on food labels to be the main reason for not reading food
labels information, followed by no interest, do not believe and do not understand the food label
increased diet related diseases may be related to increased consumption of pre-packaged foods and
inadequate awareness on use of food labeling information.

1.2 NUTRITIONAL INTAKE

A. “I can determine my nutritional intake with the help of food labels”

Nutrition labeling is a prominent policy to promote healthy eating. Smartphone technology allowed
participants to scan barcodes of packaged foods and to receive allocated labels on their smartphone
screens. The Food Standards Australia New Zealand Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (NPSC) measured
the primary outcome of the mean healthiness of all packaged food purchases over the 4-week
intervention period (Cliona Ni Mhurchu et al., 2017).

1.3 CALORIE COUNT

A.“I am able to maintain my calorie count because of my understanding of food nutrition labels”

According to Torres (2019), the nutrition label is an important part of informing consumers about the
nutrition content of food products. The results indicated that "Nutrition Label" had significant effects on
"Reason to Check" and "Purchasing Decision". Female respondents and respondents with higher income
had significant differences in their purchasing decisions.

2.1 HYPERTENSION
A. “the nutritional information on food labels enables me to select products that include nutrients
that lower my blood pressure”

The labels of food products play a significant role as it provides all the mandatory information regarding
nutritional composition, safe and quality food. Labels are more than just a piece of paper stuck to a
product. It comes in handy while making purchasing judgments. It should also provide accurate and
sufficient information about the product. The food's name was recognized as the most essential
necessary labeling information, indicating that the brand and product names are the most important
according to the results with scoring 85 % (Bandara, De Silva, Maduwanthi and Warunasinghe, 2016).

2.2 DIABETES

A. “food nutrition labels made it easier for me to create a meal plan that controls my blood sugar”

According to Dudeja & Gupta (2017) food label can be a piece (or pieces) of printed paper attached to a
food package, or it can be all or part of the product's printed or on any outside surface. It's a tool for
closing the knowledge gap between producers and customers. A label, from the point of view of public
health, is a tool for promoting health by providing correct nutritional information to customers so that
they can make informed dietary decisions.

2.3 CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

C. “by reading food nutrition labels, I can easily identify heart-healthy alternatives for my unhealthy
favorite meals”

According to Baliclic (2015), 79 % and 69 % of Filipino consumers said they were aware of health and
nutrition issues, and that nutritional content influenced their purchasing decisions. However, a poor
diet is being blamed in the Philippines for the growth in noncommunicable diseases, overweight, and
obesity cases. This trend has been challenged by national efforts to promote healthy eating habits.
Nutrition was well understood and played a key impact in food purchases, according to the data.
According to the findings, the majority of respondents would increase their purchase (93%) and
consumption (70%) of such items if a health emblem and traffic light were placed to food containers
and 98 % of the responds, the health logo was found to be more accurate when comparing dietary
facts.

3.1 SERVING SIZE

According to Miller et al., (2017), for treating age-related chronic illnesses like diabetes, obesity, and
cancer, it is crucial to be able to use serving size information on food labels. Previous studies indicate
that older persons' numeracy abilities put them at risk for misusing this section of the food label.
Uncertainty exists on how much older folks pay heed to the serving size information on packaging.

3.2 NATURAL INGREDIENTS

C. “the food nutrition label helps me to identify products with no added sugar, preservatives, and
other artificial ingredients”

In the study of Lopez-Madrid (2018), he found out that low nutritional intake and bad eating habits have
a significant role in the many aspects of malnutrition. In the Philippines, the countrywide Assessment of
the Filipino diet has remained essentially constituted of rice, fish, and vegetables over the years. While
the diet composition comprises of the rice-fish-vegetable combination looks to be healthful. The
number of calories consumed has been insufficient. Using weight-for-age and height-for-age as
indicators, the study found that nearly 20% of Filipinos aged 5 years and younger were underweight,
while 30.3% were stunted. Obesity (defined as a BMI of 30 kg/m2) was more frequent among adults.

3.3 REDUCED CALORIE INTAKE

A. “I usually compare the labels to determine which foods are low in calories in order to reduce my
calorie intake”

Tumulak, Patosa & Ibañes (2015) stated that information on food labels helps consumers understand
the nutritional value of the food. Their study determined the consumer awareness of labeled food
products. 115 people were interviewed while shopping in Digos City's various shopping malls. The data
was analyzed using a cross tabulation method and the chi-square test, and the design method was
exploratory and descriptive. The results show that the expiry date and ingredient list are the most
frequently referred to labeling information. Consumers were motivated to read food labeling
information because they are health-conscious and want to know about the food's characteristics
4.1 IMPROVING HEART CONDITION

A. “my awareness on unhealthy food that will be bad for my heart has been increased because of the
right use of food nutritional labels
” Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic
respiratory diseases, as well as their risk factors, are an increasing public health and development
challenge in the Philippines, according to the World Health Organization's United Nations Development
Program (2019). The substantial human and economic consequences of NCDs show the need to lower
the burden of disease in the Philippines. WHO recognizes that managing four forms of behavior (tobacco
use, hazardous alcohol use, an unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity) and metabolic risk factors such as
high blood pressure and cholesterol can lower the risk of NCDs (WHO, 2013).

4.2 ACHIEVING HEALTHY WEIGHT

B. “I can keep my calorie intake under control and maintain a healthy body weight by using food
nutritional la4.2
In Nigeria, Mapis (2020) found out in his study that Nigerians are consuming more processed Western
foods. Obesity and undernutrition related to micronutrient deficiencies or malnutrition have become
more prevalent. Despite having a rudimentary understanding of how eating affects health, most
women prefer the convenience and palatability of Western alternatives. Health care practitioners can
study the outcomes of people who consume a diverse range of indigenous foods to see how they
influence the overall health of Nigerian families.

4.3 LOWERING THE RISK OF SERIOUS DISEASE

C. “I am now far from the risk of serious diseases because of the information that is provided by food
nutritional labels”

Tariga and Nolasco (2021) cited that food preferences have obviously changed. People have started to
focus on food health issues. Food preferences are highly complex, personal, and influenced by a broad
variety of factors, especially physiological ones. The pandemic influenced people to prepare their own
food with the guidance of "online chefs," and their eating patterns were also affected. When one takes
adequate nutrients and energy, the development of some diseases and nutritional disorders can be
prevented. Thus, appropriate nutrition plays an essential part in improving health and increasing
immunity against diseases.