Obesity cases steadily on the rise among Filipinos — gov't survey

MANILA, Philippines – More and more Filipinos suffered from obesity in 2025, raising national concern about a malnutrition crisis that could gradually shift from undernutrition to overnutrition.

Survey findings of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) showed that the prevalence of obesity among Filipino adults aged 20 to 59 years old rose from 39.8% in 2023 to 44.5% in 2025.

Based on Body Mass Index (BMI) classifications from 384 sampled households throughout the country, they found that obesity is more common among women (50.1%), urban residents (48.3%), and those in the richest wealth quantile (57.8%).

Furthermore, obesity is higher in the National Capital Region at 52.7%, the Cordillera Administrative Region at 50.6%, and Central Luzon at 49.6%.

Image from Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute