NewsMakers
Young Filipinos more susceptible to illness despite health awareness, says Manulife study
According to Rahul Hora, Manulife Philippines president and chief executive officer, many young Filipinos are facing a rise in illnesses and lifestyle-related issues despite health awareness. “This gap between awareness and action implies that mere knowledge isn’t sufficient. We must find solutions to these real-world barriers preventing young people from practicing healthier lifestyles.”

Financial security, susceptibility to illnesses, and lack of health awareness are factors that influenced the behavior of Filipinos in adopting healthier lifestyles. This is according to a study conducted by Manulife Philippines entitled “In Wellness and In Health” which delves into the landscape of health, well-being and financial preparedness in the Philippines.
Conducted to a total 1,000 Filipino male and female consumers across four age groups (18-29; 30-39; 40-49; and 50-55), and different income groups, the study found out that 86% of respondents believe their health is determined by their lifestyle choices. This same percentage also cited barriers that prevent them from having healthy lifestyles.
According to Rahul Hora, Manulife Philippines president and chief executive officer, many young Filipinos are facing a rise in illnesses and lifestyle-related issues despite health awareness. “This gap between awareness and action implies that mere knowledge isn’t sufficient. We must find solutions to these real-world barriers preventing young people from practicing healthier lifestyles.”
The study says 33% of Filipinos, prominently in the lower income households, admit their current lifestyle is unhealthy, with younger Filipino adults at age range 18 to 29 get sick more often than other age groups, despite health awareness. It was also noted in the survey that among all respondents, the average number of sick days a year is 2.7 times. However, for those in the 18 to 29 age group who get sick more often, the number rose to an average of 3.4 times a year.
This may be the result of unhealthy diet, stress, and the lack of sleep and exercise among young Filipinos in the 18 to 29 age bracket, compared with other age groups. According to 68% of respondents, the reason for lower exercise rates was a perception that following a regular exercise routine is expensive.
The lack of proper sleep and exercise, as well as the tendency to neglect their overall health, can make younger Filipinos susceptible to illness. This age group is also more reluctant to changing their lifestyles due to a perceived “fear of missing out.” They spend a huge chunk of time nurturing their social lives, and may be less willing to change their habits for a healthier lifestyle due to perceived costs and inconvenience.
Hora said young Filipinos need the support they can get to better translate health and wellness information into everyday habits, including taking necessary steps toward achieving financial security.
Meanwhile, to prevent illness, a healthy diet is considered as the healthy lifestyle to follow. But, in contrast, three in every 10 Filipino respondents admit their current lifestyles are unhealthy, and half of the respondents claimed that majority of their meals are not healthy.
Lack of knowledge and misinformation about health alter Filipinos’ perceptions of the need for a healthy lifestyle. Forty six percent of respondents believe that healthy meals are less appetizing while 35% share that they are more difficult to prepare and find. The survey also found out that 25% believe critical illnesses can only afflict older Filipinos, while 21% think eating habits and nutrition have very little or no impact on children’s mental development.
Hora said the survey underscores a critical gap between awareness of the importance of a healthy diet and its actual implementation among Filipinos. “Misconceptions and perceived barriers such as cost, taste, and preparation difficulty continue to hinder healthier lifestyle choices. It is important to address these issues through education and accessibility to ensure better health outcomes for all.”
The survey found out that Filipinos remain financially unprepared for medical emergencies as a significant portion of medical expenses, about 41%, still comes out-of-pocket, mainly from personal savings. This highlights a gap between the perceived adequacy of health coverage and the financial reality faced during actual medical emergencies, putting a considerable burden on individuals and families.
The survey also reveals a stark difference in savings for medical expenses across different age
groups. On average, respondents have set aside PhP62,000 for future medical needs such as emergency services, hospitalization, and preventive healthcare.
However, the survey says younger Filipinos aged 18-29 have saved significantly less, with an average of only PhP38,000. This disparity suggests that younger individuals might be less prepared to handle unexpected medical costs. Additionally, respondents believe they will need to save approximately PhP571,000 to cover potential medical expenses over the next 10 years, highlighting a substantial gap between current savings and future financial needs.
“These key findings further prove that, when we talk about healthcare and well-being, we must understand where knowledge and behavioral gaps are coming from,” Hora said.
Hora encourages Filipinos to take more concrete steps toward embracing healthier lifestyles – from improving dietary habits to nurturing overall well-being. For financial priorities, Manulife can be a trusted partner through its broad range of health and life protection plans to secure their future and help them live better every day. By addressing both health and financial preparedness, Filipinos can build a more resilient foundation for managing their healthcare need.
NewsMakers
5 Tips to upgrade your sleep
Sleep contributes to better brain function, memory, concentration and lower stress. According to the National Institutes of Health, most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night to achieve maximum health benefits.

Good sleep isn’t just about waking up feeling rested and ready for the day. Quality sleep, and plenty of it, is important for your overall health. While you sleep, your body naturally recharges itself, which puts you at lower risk for cardiovascular problems and chronic conditions like diabetes, as well as improving your immune system.
Sleep also contributes to better brain function, memory, concentration and lower stress. According to the National Institutes of Health, most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night to achieve maximum health benefits.
If you’re falling short of the recommended amount of sleep, you may be able to make some adjustments that help you reap the health benefits of better rest. Learn what you can do to improve your sleep with these tips from the experts in safer, healthier sleep at Naturepedic.
Reduce Light Exposure
Your body’s natural circadian rhythms are closely aligned with light and dark. When your body senses light, it sends signals to your brain that it’s time to be awake. Light also suppresses your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone linked to sleep. Cutting back on bright lights and avoiding devices at least an hour before bed can tell your body it’s time to wind down, and sleeping in a dark room promotes better rest.
Invest in the Right Mattress
Your mattress plays a major role in your comfort through the night, so making sure it fits your needs is an important step toward getting better rest. Take control of your comfort with a quality mattress such as Naturepedic’s EOS (Ergonomic Organic Sleep) mattress, which is handcrafted and made without polyurethane foam, formaldehyde, flame retardants or fiberglass. The breathable layers of certified organic cotton, wool and GOTS-approved latex ensure better temperature regulation while naturally contouring the body. An added feature is the ability to customize each side of the bed by opening the zippers and adjusting the layered components for the perfect comfort combination.
Find the Right Sheets
Sheets that are too stiff, scratchy or otherwise unpleasant make it nearly impossible to settle in for a good night’s rest. Higher thread counts tend to be softer, higher quality sheets. However, you may need to experiment to find which material suits you best.
Set a Comfortable Temperature
When you’re too hot or cold, your mind tends to focus on those sensations rather than allowing you to slip into a slumber. Set your thermostat at a comfortable temperature, adding fans or adjusting the layers of bedding as necessary to achieve the perfect level of cozy comfort.
Use a Sound Machine
If you’re a light sleeper, noise can wreak havoc on your rest. Many people find sound machines offer two key benefits: They provide a soothing sound, such as rain or ocean waves, that allows you to relax and ease into slumber and constant background noise, so additional sounds are less disruptive.
Find more solutions for achieving better sleep at Naturepedic.com.
NewsMakers
What you should know about IBD
Two common conditions are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They’re often confused for one another, but these are actually two different GI disorders.

It may not be something you like to talk about, but if you have gastrointestinal (GI) problems, your symptoms may be far more common than you think. According to data from the American Gastroenterological Association, 60-70 million people living in the United States have gut health concerns.
Two common conditions are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They’re often confused for one another, but these are actually two different GI disorders.
IBS is a syndrome; it is defined by a group of symptoms, does not cause inflammation and rarely requires hospitalization or surgery. IBD, on the other hand, is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that cause chronic inflammation of your GI tract.
The disease is more common than you may realize; a study led by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation found nearly 1 in 100 people living in the U.S. have IBD. The two most common forms of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Understanding IBD Symptoms
Because it poses serious health risks and can cause permanent damage to your intestines, it’s important to be aware of what IBD is and recognize the symptoms. Your primary care doctor or gastroenterologist can help if you have concerns about these symptoms:
- Intense, crampy pain that doesn’t go away in a day or two or has been present on and off for weeks or longer
- A notable change in bowel movement frequency, whether more or less often
- Frequent diarrhea over several weeks, or loose stools multiple times a day
- Frequent constipation, or constipation alternating with diarrhea
- Urgency on a regular basis or inability to hold back the bowel movement before reaching the bathroom
- Blood with bowel movements
- Mucus in your stool regularly or paired with pain or other symptoms
- Always feeling as though you aren’t fully emptying your bowels
Other symptoms that may have a variety of causes but need extra attention especially if you notice them along with any of the symptoms above include pain outside of the gut, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss. In addition, children with IBD may have delays in growth and the onset of puberty.
Diagnosing IBD
No single test can confirm a Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis diagnosis. Your medical history and information obtained from diagnostic testing can exclude other potential causes of your symptoms, since gastrointestinal symptoms are common and can have a variety of causes.
Your first tests will likely include blood and stool laboratory tests. Further testing could include imaging studies of your gastrointestinal tract or a look inside your GI tract through an endoscope.
Identifying Treatment Options
Once an IBD diagnosis is confirmed, you can partner with your doctor to manage your disease. Treatment plans are highly personalized, as what works for one person may not for another. Medication and managing your diet and nutrition are two common treatment recommendations. In some cases, surgery can help improve your quality of life.
Clinical trials may also be an option for treating your IBD. Through clinical trials, researchers find new ways to improve treatments and quality of life. In fact, clinical trials represent the final stages of a long and careful research process to make new and improved treatment options for patients available.
However, an important part of clinical trials for IBD is patient participation. Without the enrollment of patients in clinical trials, new treatment options for IBD can be delayed or never become available.
Equally important to this process is having a diverse representation of patients that considers race, age or other categories. This helps researchers develop treatments that meet the needs of a vast IBD patient community.
If you’re interested in participating in a clinical trial, ask your doctor to help you find a trial that is right for you, and visit crohnscolitisfoundation.org to learn more about IBD and treatment options, including clinical trials.
NewsMakers
Unlocking the science of sleep: How rest enhances language learning
Getting eight hours of sleep every night helps the brain to store and learn a new language.

Sleep is critical for all sorts of reasons, but a team of international scientists has discovered a new incentive for getting eight hours of sleep every night: it helps the brain to store and learn a new language.
A study led by the University of South Australia (UniSA) and published in the Journal of Neuroscience has revealed that the coordination of two electrical events in the sleeping brain significantly improves our ability to remember new words and complex grammatical rules.
In an experiment with 35 native English-speaking adults, researchers tracked the brain activity of participants learning a miniature language called Mini Pinyin that is based on Mandarin but with similar grammatical rules to English.
Half of the participants learned Mini Pinyin in the morning and then returned in the evening to have their memory tested. The other half learned Mini Pinyin in the evening and then slept in the laboratory overnight while their brain activity was recorded. Researchers tested their progress in the morning.
Those who slept performed significantly better compared to those who remained awake.
Lead researcher Dr Zachariah Cross, who did his PhD at UniSA but is now based at Northwestern University in Chicago, says sleep-based improvements were linked to the coupling of slow oscillations and sleep spindles – brainwave patterns that synchronise during NREM sleep.
“This coupling likely reflects the transfer of learned information from the hippocampus to the cortex, enhancing long-term memory storage,” Dr Cross says.
“Post-sleep neural activity showed unique patterns of theta oscillations associated with cognitive control and memory consolidation, suggesting a strong link between sleep-induced brainwave co-ordination and learning outcomes.”
UniSA researcher Dr Scott Coussens says the study underscores the importance of sleep in learning complex linguistic rules.
“By demonstrating how specific neural processes during sleep support memory consolidation, we provide a new perspective on how sleep disruption impacts language learning,” Dr Coussens says. “Sleep is not just restful; it’s an active, transformative state for the brain.”
The findings could also potentially inform treatments for individuals with language-related impairments, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and aphasia, who experience greater sleep disturbances than other adults.
Research on both animals and humans shows that slow oscillations improve neural plasticity – the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experiences and injury.
“From this perspective, slow oscillations could be increased via methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation to accelerate aphasia-based speech and language therapy,” Dr Cross says.
In future, the researchers plan to explore how sleep and wake dynamics influence the learning of other complex cognitive tasks.
“Understanding how the brain works during sleep has implications beyond language learning. It could revolutionize how we approach education, rehabilitation, and cognitive training.”
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