MANILA, Philippines?Growing up as a scrawny kid near the old Manila Squash Club in Zamora Street, Pasay City, I was a typical ?butiking Pasay.? I never imagined I?d end up as a 200 lbs. adult?thanks to lack of discipline and a sedentary lifestyle.

I started picking up a sport after college, doing Olympic rowing in Manila Boat Club in Pasig River. A sweaty game of squash was also in order since Manila Boat Club was one of few places with a squash court. I also tried long-distance running to lose weight, running as far as 10 km daily for three months.

Losing as much as 30 lbs. was something to be proud of. However, the toll of the morning and the afternoon sun was something to worry about. I even took advantage of ?South Beach? diet when it was all the rage, and was happy to lose 40 lbs.

Just like in any diet, I gained everything back, all the sins of overeating and daily carbonated and sugar-rich cola drinks.

An ideal weight of 175 lbs. and a BMI (body mass index) of 25 is something that will always be, well, an ideal. I am already happy with a 32-inch waistline and a BMI of 28. With a 6-ft body frame, I?d rather be on the heavy side.

Then an invitation to the Feati Blue and Gold marathon came my way. To get up at 5 a.m. and be ill-prepared for a 10 km run was unavoidable. The marathon was staged by Feati University to mark its 50th year. Dubbed ?On Your Weight, Get Set, Go!, An Awareness campaign on Overweight and Obesity,? it was held with the Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (Pasoo), Manila Sports Council and Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association.

Two thousand runners turned out for the fun run, from schools and running clubs in the metro. It ran through the stretch of Roxas Boulevard from the US Embassy all the way to CCP complex.

As people like me lead increasingly sedentary lifestyle, the risks of obesity among Filipinos will rise.

A common assumption about obesity is that it happens only in adults.

While this is historically correct, there?s growing incidence among the youth here and abroad. A recent study revealed that 20% of young Americans are overweight. It could only be a matter of time before this is true here.

With expanding waistlines come potential maladies: diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

The Feati Blue and Gold @ 50 was presented by Nesvita ProWeight Management. For more information about overall adult health, please log on to www.adultwellness.com.ph