According to a study on the prevalence of common school diseases in the 2023-2024 school year in Ho Chi Minh City, the rates of overweight and obesity in children under 5 years old are 8.5 percent and 7 percent respectively while the proportion of obese children aged from five to 19 is 22 percent and 20 percent. The increasing rates of overweight and obesity among students have been alarming.
The study was conducted on 1,230 students from preschool to high school at 8 randomly selected educational institutions in the city.
Specifically, the rates of overweight and obesity in children under 5 years old increased from 11.1 percent in 2017 to 13.6 percent in 2022; among school-aged children, the rates increased from 41.4 percent in 2014 to 43.4 percent in 2020, with the highest rate being among primary school students at 56.9 percent.
Once established, obesity has proven to be difficult to reverse. Some children with obesity remain obese in adulthood, increasing their risks of future ill health. Overweight and obesity in adults aged 18-69 in Ho Chi Minh City also accounted for a relatively high rate of 37.1 percent in 2020. These figures are all higher than the national average.
Dr. Nguyen Phuong Anh, Deputy Head of the Nutrition Department at An Binh Hospital, noted that clinical observations show many students in Ho Chi Minh City who come for check-ups for overweight and obesity also have complications. Among these, there are cases of fatty liver, dyslipidemia, and acanthosis nigricans (a sign of insulin resistance).
According to Deputy Director Associate Professor Truong Tuyet Mai of the National Institute of Nutrition, overweight and obesity have become a global pandemic with a steep upward trend. In large cities, school-aged children often lead sedentary lifestyles, have high screen time, and get little sleep. Associate Professor Dr. Truong Tuyet Mai suggested specific actions to improve the living environment for children, such as creating spaces for physical exercise and providing healthy and appropriate food at school and home.
She emphasized the need to act immediately because children are the country's future. If the current rate of increase in overweight and obesity continues, the rate will double in the next 10 years, warned Associate Professor Truong Tuyet Mai.
In Ho Chi Minh City, health experts analyze that the increase in overweight and obesity, along with the rise in risk factors for non-communicable diseases, is partly due to habits of eating salty foods, low intake of vegetables and fruits, and insufficient physical activity compared to recommendations. Experts note that Ho Chi Minh City is being impacted by urbanization, environmental changes, and food changes, with increased access to unhealthy foods and beverages, along with cheap processed food and drink outlets.
In this context, Ho Chi Minh City has issued a plan to implement the national nutrition strategy until 2030, aiming to control the rate of overweight and obesity in children under 5 years old to below 14percent, children aged 5-18 years to below 40percent, and adults to below 35percent by 2030. This aims to effectively control nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, contributing to improving the stature, physical strength, and intelligence of the city’s residents.
