Obesity has quietly worked its way into the daily lives of many Filipinos. With long hours spent at desk jobs, quick meals from fast food counters, constant stress, and little time left for exercise, staying healthy has become a challenge.
The result is a steady rise in waistlines—and with it, higher risks for diabetes and heart disease.
In response, Watsons Philippines is partnering with global healthcare company Novo Nordisk to offer free obesity screenings at select Watsons stores.
Beginning this October, trained healthcare providers will be on hand every Saturday to offer body mass index checks, glucose testing, and one-on-one consultations — a small step toward making health part of the Filipino routine.
For Joweeh Liao, director for Health Business Unit, Finance, and Property Development at Watsons Philippines, the collaboration is about more than services or products.
“This is an advocacy shared by both Novo Nordisk and Watsons to address obesity, to avoid further complications,” she said.
Liao added that consultations will be walk-in and free, a way to encourage Filipinos to get checked without hesitation.
Novo Nordisk Philippines general manager Wei Sun pointed to alarming numbers.
“Four out of ten Filipino patients are overweight or obese… and one out of eight adolescents are overweight and obese as well,” she said, citing government survey data.
Sun explained that lifestyle plays a big role. “Many of us are sitting in front of the computer at our desk the whole day, and we hardly stand up and take a walk… in the Philippines there’s a lot of fast food and overly processed food, and that doesn’t really help with healthy living.”
She added that stigma often prevents people from seeking help.
“It takes as long as six years for them to start the first conversation with their doctors… a lot of hesitation, a lot of societal biases against it,” Sun said.
For Novo Nordisk, redefining obesity as a chronic disease rather than a cosmetic issue is central to shifting these mindsets.
“Obesity is not only about looks — it is fundamentally about health,” she explained, pointing out its links to more than 200 medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and sleep apnea.
Beyond patient-facing programs, Novo Nordisk is also investing in education for healthcare providers.
The BEAT Obesity program—short for Break the bias, Evaluate comprehensively, Address with evidence, and Transform outcomes—provides doctors with updated knowledge and training through micro-learning modules and webinars.
By ensuring physicians are equipped to give proper guidance, the company hopes patients who come to Watsons clinics will receive not only screenings but also quality obesity care.
Product manager Julio Araneta stressed that empowering patients remains the heart of their campaign.
“We want to ensure that patients are empowered to actually seek consultation and to get the help that they need,” he said. “It’s not just about promoting a specific product. It’s really about showing obesity in different angles—emotional, informational, thought-provoking—and letting people understand that it’s not just about overeating or appearance, but a disease that must be managed.”
For Watsons, with more than 1,200 branches nationwide and an expanding network of 24-hour outlets, the initiative fits into its broader mission to make healthcare part of daily life.
Whether through screenings, online ordering, or even quick in-store consultations, the retailer is positioning itself as a health partner in the spaces Filipinos already frequent.
The screenings are free and available on a walk-in basis, with schedules and participating stores to be posted on Watsons’ social media pages.
By turning everyday errands into opportunities for preventive care, this partnership aims to spark healthier conversations and encourage Filipinos to act early.
