Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for nearly three-quarters of deaths globally, killing at least 43 million people in 2021, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In the Philippines, NCDs—including cardiovascular disease, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes—cause an estimated 68% of all deaths, making them the country’s leading cause of mortality.
Against this backdrop, two global January health challenges—Dry January, a month-long alcohol abstinence campaign, and Veganuary, which encourages trying a vegan diet for the month—continue to gain traction among health-conscious communities, workplaces, and social media networks worldwide.
Dry January began in the United Kingdom in 2013 under the charity Alcohol Change UK. Participation reportedly grew from about 4,000 registrants in its first year to hundreds of thousands globally by 2024–2025. Veganuary, meanwhile, estimated that 25.8 million people took part worldwide in January 2025, based on YouGov surveys and population modeling.
As these movements spread, the public-health question in the Philippines is not simply whether they are popular, but whether they meaningfully intersect with the country’s persistent burden of diet- and lifestyle-related disease.
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Philippines facing persistent nutrition and NCD challenges
The 2023 National Nutrition Survey (NNS) released by the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) confirms that nutrition-related risks remain widespread among Filipinos.
Among adults aged 20 to 59, overweight and obesity prevalence remains high, reflecting dietary and lifestyle patterns linked to metabolic risk. The survey also reports that moderate to severe food insecurity affects roughly 31% of households, while nearly four in ten adults are classified as obese, with higher rates among women and urban residents.
Local research consistently links these patterns to low diet quality, characterized by frequent consumption of processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, which contribute to cardiometabolic risk.
Diabetes further compounds the burden. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that 7.5% of Filipino adults were living with diabetes in 2024, equivalent to around 4.7 million people.
Globally, WHO reports that 82% of premature NCD deaths in low- and middle-income countries occur before age 70. Against this evidence, lifestyle trends that touch on alcohol use and diet resonate strongly with ongoing public-health priorities.
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Dry January: an alcohol pause with emerging evidence
Dry January challenges participants to abstain from alcohol for the entire month, prompting reflection on drinking habits and social norms around alcohol use.
A 2025 scoping review of Dry January studies found that participants often report short- and mid-term reductions in alcohol intake, improved well-being, and greater confidence in declining drinks, even when they do not complete full abstinence.
The review noted that lighter and moderate drinkers more often complete the challenge, while heavier drinkers report greater difficulty but also larger relative improvements compared with non-participants.
Physiological evidence supports these behavioral findings. A London-based study frequently cited in health literature reported that four weeks of alcohol abstinence led to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, improved insulin sensitivity, better sleep quality, and reduced liver stiffness. While not randomized controlled trials, these outcomes align with broader cardiovascular research linking alcohol intake to increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and hypertensive disease.
Studies also show that participants who use structured support tools—such as the Try Dry app or daily emails—are more likely to complete the challenge successfully.
However, researchers caution that much of the evidence comes from self-selected groups in high-income Western settings, and long-term population-level effects remain uncertain. A month without alcohol may act as a behavioral reset, but sustained health impact depends on longer-term consumption patterns.
Veganuary: plant-based eating with nuanced health effects
Veganuary encourages people to adopt a fully plant-based diet for January, avoiding all animal-derived foods. Its reported reach—over 25 million participants in 2025—signals significant cultural influence.
Scientific evidence on vegan diets, however, remains nuanced. A 2023 umbrella review synthesizing multiple meta-analyses found weak and inconsistent associations between vegan diets and reduced cardiovascular disease risk, with outcomes varying by diet quality and study design.
Other systematic reviews suggest modest benefits for body weight and waist circumference in some populations, but inconsistent effects on blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid profiles.
Researchers consistently emphasize that diet quality matters more than dietary labels. Plant-based diets built around vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds align with healthier patterns. In contrast, vegan diets high in refined grains, ultra-processed snacks, and sugary foods may offer little cardiometabolic benefit.
This distinction is particularly relevant in the Philippines, where dietary patterns already skew toward refined carbohydrates and processed foods—factors linked to elevated metabolic risk in local studies.
Lifestyle realities in the Philippine context
While Dry January and Veganuary originate in global health movements, their relevance locally depends on culture, affordability, and social norms.
Filipino meals often center on rice and meat or fish, with vegetables playing a secondary role. Yet traditional foods such as mung beans, tofu, leafy greens, root crops, and bananas can serve as affordable foundations for more plant-forward meals when prepared thoughtfully.
Alcohol, meanwhile, plays a visible role in social gatherings. A named challenge like Dry January can provide a socially acceptable reason to decline drinks without lengthy explanations, reducing social friction for participants.
Food environments also shape choices. The 2023 NNS shows that many households rely on wet markets and sari-sari stores, prioritizing affordability over specialty health products. This reality limits the reach of premium vegan alternatives but highlights opportunities to improve everyday diet quality using familiar foods.
Public-health economists stress that lasting behavior change depends on supportive environments, workplace policies, community education, and clear nutrition guidance—not individual willpower alone.
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A practical lens on January health challenges
Dry January and Veganuary intersect key modifiable NCD risk factors identified by WHO, including harmful alcohol use, poor diet quality, and obesity.
Global evidence suggests that even short-term changes can improve blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin sensitivity, and self-reported well-being. Yet the strength and durability of these benefits vary widely.
Dry January studies show that participants who fully engage often report sustained reductions in alcohol use months later, particularly when structured support is available. Plant-based diet research, meanwhile, consistently finds that outcomes depend on food quality rather than exclusion of animal products alone.
From January reset to year-round habits
The evidence points to a clear conclusion: temporary challenges work best as starting points, not endpoints.
Dry January can help individuals notice how alcohol affects sleep, mood, and appetite, while Veganuary can expand familiarity with plant-based meals. However, meaningful NCD risk reduction occurs only when these insights translate into ongoing habits.
In the Philippines, where diet-related disease remains entrenched, the lesson is pragmatic. A month of change can spark awareness, but sustained, evidence-based choices—reducing harmful alcohol use and building meals around whole, nutrient-dense foods—are what ultimately shape long-term health outcomes.
Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash
Data Sources
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI)
- International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
- Alcohol Change UK
- Veganuary / YouGov
