The Department of Health on Sunday reminded the public to eat and drink in moderation during the holiday season to avoid contracting non-communicable diseases.

In an advisory, the Health Department said non-communicable diseases such as stroke and heart attack cases increase during the holiday season due to the excessive consumption of unhealthy food.

"During these times, all of us eat more. This can lead to non-communicable diseases. Incidents of stroke and heart attack are higher in December, January and February," Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an earlier media briefing.

Vergeire reminded the public to avoid eating unhealthy food and drinking alcoholic drinks which cause high blood pressure.

"Many of us have a penchant to eat a lot and prepare fatty and unhealthy food during Christmas gatherings. It is part of our culture," she said.

"But we can avoid these by taking things moderately," she added.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, coronary heart disease remains the top leading cause of death among Filipinos from January 2021 to September 2021.

In its 2021 report, coronary heart disease accounted for 91,152 or 18.5 percent of the deaths in the same period.

In the same PSA report, diabetes ranked fifth as the top leading cause of death among Filipinos, which accounted for 32,057 deaths. This is equivalent to 6.5 percent of the deaths in the same period.