Ho Chi Minh City is facing a rapid rise in childhood obesity even as malnutrition has come under better control, creating what health authorities describe as a “new crisis”.
A doctor at HCM City Children's Hospital 2 examines overweight and obese children (Photo: hospital).
On August 14, the city's Department of Health and Department of Education and Training signed a memorandum of understanding with Danish healthcare organisations under the “City for the Health of Future Generations” programme.
The agreement makes Ho Chi Minh City the first city in Vietnam and the 57th worldwide to join the network.
According to the World Health Organization, about 19.5 per cent of Vietnam's population, or roughly 20 million people, are living with overweight or obesity.
A 2019-20 survey by the National Institute of Nutrition found that the proportion of school-age children aged 5 to 19 who were overweight or obese had more than doubled, from 8.5 per cent in 2010 to 19 per cent in 2020.
The rate was significantly higher in urban areas, at 26.8 per cent, compared with 18.3 per cent in rural areas and 6.9 per cent in mountainous regions.
In Ho Chi Minh City, data from the Ho Chi Minh City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) showed that among children under five, 4.4 per cent were underweight, 6.5 per cent were stunted and more than 3 per cent were wasted. More than 8 per cent were overweight or obese.
The situation is more pronounced among primary school pupils. Of nearly 900,000 children examined, 38.7 per cent were overweight or obese, including more than 20 per cent who were overweight and more than 18 per cent who were obese.
The combined rate among lower secondary and upper secondary school pupils was also high, at 33.6 per cent and 25.4 per cent respectively.
The HCDC said the rapid rise in obesity, despite better control of malnutrition, had created a new public health crisis driven by urban lifestyles, the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and unhealthy diets.
Authorities face numerous challenges in tackling childhood overweight and obesity, including sedentary lifestyles, academic pressure, frequent consumption of fast food and sugary foods, misconceptions among adults, living-environment factors and difficulties in implementing policies.
In response, Ho Chi Minh City has introduced a series of action plans aligned with Vietnam's national strategy for 2021-30. The city has also stepped up international cooperation with organisations including the WHO and UNICEF, alongside greater coordination between sectors.
By 2030, the city aims to standardise school meals, improve controls over school canteens and encourage greater physical activity.
It aims to reduce the proportion of overweight and obese children under five to 14 per cent, those aged 5 to 18 to below 40 per cent, and adults to below 35 per cent.