At the opening ceremony of the specialized nutritional consultation service of the Adult Nutrition Consultation Department, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Duong, Director of the Institute of Nutrition, said: Vietnam is facing an increase in diseases related to lifestyle and nutrition. Diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, overweight, and malnutrition are seriously affecting people's health.
The results of the National Survey on Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors in Vietnam (STEPS) in 2021 have shown many alarming trends. The rate of hypertension has increased from 18.9% in 2015 to 26.2%; the rate of overweight/obesity has increased from 15.6% to 19.5%. At the same time, Vietnam has recorded a significant rate of osteoporosis. A study in Vinh City (Nghe An) in 2021 showed that among people over 50 years old, 40% of women and 37% of men have osteoporosis.
Pregnant women and women of childbearing age face many nutritional problems, especially micronutrient deficiencies. The 2020 General Nutrition Survey recorded that 25.6% of pregnant women and 16.2% of non-pregnant women were anemic; 63.5% of pregnant women were zinc deficient.
Vietnam has a rapidly aging population, with the elderly expected to account for 16.5% of the population in 2029 and 24.9% in 2049. The elderly often face health problems such as malnutrition, limited mobility, mental decline, affecting quality of life and increasing the need for medical care...
Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Duong added that personal nutrition care is becoming a necessary trend. The opening of a specialized nutrition consultation service is important in the context of Vietnam facing rapid aging and increasing non-communicable diseases. This service will focus on areas such as diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, malnutrition and care for pregnant women.
