New research results from the Institute of Nutrition show that the rate of overweight and obesity in adults aged 20-45 is up to 43.6%, while micronutrient deficiencies are still common.
On June 19, the National Institute of Nutrition in collaboration with the Nutrilite Health Institute (USA) organized a workshop to announce the research results "Evaluating the nutritional status and food consumption in adults aged 20-45 in urban and rural areas of 5 provinces and cities of Vietnam in 2025".
The study was conducted on nearly 1,500 adults in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Thai Nguyen and Quang Nam, representing urban and rural areas of Vietnam. This is an activity within the public-private partnership model in the field of nutritional science.
According to the Institute of Nutrition, the research results provide important scientific data on nutritional status, food consumption, diet and breakfast habits of adults aged 20-45, thereby creating a basis for building communication programs, nutrition education and promoting proactive health care.
In the context of Vietnam entering a period of rapid population aging, proper nutrition plays an increasingly important role in maintaining health, improving quality of life and ensuring labor productivity. If previously nutritional issues were mainly associated with malnutrition due to lack of energy and protein, now our country is facing a "double burden of nutrition", when malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency still exist in parallel with the increase in overweight, obesity and non-communicable chronic diseases related to diet.
The research results showed that the rate of overweight and obesity in the survey group reached 43.6% when applying the BMI classification standard for Asians as recommended by the World Health Organization for the Western Pacific Region (WHO/WPRO), with a higher rate in men.
In addition, micronutrient deficiencies in the diet are still quite common. On average, the diet of people surveyed only meets 68.7% of the recommended daily calcium needs and 50.9% of folate needs. More than 60% of participants have not consumed enough green vegetables and fruits as recommended by the World Health Organization.
The study also recorded that 26.7% of participants do not eat breakfast regularly. Energy from breakfast only meets about 18.2% of recommended needs, while about 20% of adults use sugar, candies or sweets in breakfast. According to experts, this shows that breakfast not only needs to be maintained regularly but also needs to be improved in quality and nutritional balance.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thanh Duong - Director of the Institute of Nutrition said that the age group from 20 - 45 is the core labor force, playing an important role in the socio-economic development of the country. However, modern life and work pressure are contributing to the formation of unreasonable nutritional behaviors such as skipping breakfast or choosing unbalanced foods.
Proactive healthcare does not start from hospitals but from daily food choices. Investing in nutrition is investing in today's health, in tomorrow's population quality and the sustainable development of the country in the future," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thanh Duong emphasized.
