Section 7 of Presidential Decree 411 designates July as Nutrition Month to create greater awareness among the Filipinos on the importance of nutrition, focusing attention on making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
This year’s Nutrition Month celebration theme is “First 1000 Days ni baby pahalagahan para sa malusog na kinabukasan.”
The theme focuses on the first 1000 days of life starting from conception and before the second birthday of the child. It is during this period when growth faltering happens. Many studies have shown a link between undernutrition, especially stunting, in the first years of life and overnutrition in the later years. Thus, the First 1000 Days has been called the “golden window of opportunity” for a comprehensive package of nutrition and related interventions to achieve significant changes in reduction in child stunting, underweight and wasting, at the same time contribute to complete child development.
Highlighting the First 1000 Days during Nutrition Month in July 2016 aims to create awareness on the importance of proper infant and young child feeding practices, particularly exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and giving appropriate complementary food after six months while continuing breastfeeding. The celebration also aims to promote collaboration among various stakeholders both at the national and local levels for programs serving families with pregnant mothers and children less than 2 years old. # Source – www.dilg.gov.ph
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