“Overweight and obesity are a problem for children,” UNICEF Vietnam nutrition expert Do Hong Phuong emphasized at the Workshop on providing comments on the draft Law on Special Consumption Tax on applying special consumption tax on sugary drinks, preventing and combating overweight and obesity in children, organized by the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture and Education in coordination with UNICEF on November 24.
Ms. Do Hong Phuong said that in East Asia and the Pacific, the problem of overweight is affecting 90 million children and adolescents, 11 million children under 5 years old; 26% of children in the world are overweight.
Regarding the increase in the rate of overweight and obesity in children in Vietnam, Ms. Do Hong Phuong said that in the group of children aged 5-19, the rate of overweight and obesity has increased from 8.5% (2010) to 19% (2020). Of which, the urban area has 26.8%, higher than the average rate of the Southeast Asian region (17.3%) and higher than the rate in low- and middle-income countries in the region.
Ms. Do Hong Phuong predicted that without effective and timely interventions, it is estimated that by 2030, nearly 2 million children aged 5-19 will be overweight or obese.
According to Ms. Phuong, overweight or obese children are at high risk of many non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, other chronic diseases and premature death.
On the other hand, children who are overweight or obese may experience negative psychological and social impacts, including weight bias, isolation, depression, low self-esteem, and poor academic performance.
Also at the workshop, Associate Professor, Dr. Truong Tuyet Mai - Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition - mentioned the harmful effects of sugary drinks on health, especially the impact on children.
Accordingly, sugary beverage consumption in childhood was associated with a higher risk of obesity and overweight/obesity at age 5. Each additional 100ml of sugary beverage consumed per day was associated with a higher BMI and a 1.2-fold increased risk of overweight/obesity at age 6.
“Childhood obesity is a global problem that requires urgent action,” Associate Professor, Dr. Truong Tuyet Mai emphasized.
Ms. Mai also cited recommendations to limit sugary drink consumption in children. Accordingly, children under 2 years old should not consume any foods or drinks with added sugar.
For children aged 2 to 18 years, limit sugar intake to less than 25 grams per day (<=5% of total energy intake). Limit sugary drinks to no more than 235ml per week.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Truong Thi Tuyet Mai, regular consumption of sugary drinks can lead to a 1.36 times greater risk of high blood pressure.
