Health expert calls for improving school nutrition to prevent overweight and obesity

Your browser does not support the audio element. The rate of overweight and obese preschool and school-age children tends to increase rapidly in both rural and urban areas, which is a school health issue that needs attention. The stunting rate among children aged under five in Vietnam has fallen from  二 九. 三 per cent in  二0 一0 to under  一 八. 九 per cent in  二0 二 二. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Nutrition experts have called for improving school nutrition to address the rapid increase in overweight and obese children in both rural and urban areas.

The results of the  二0 一 九- 二0 二0 nutrition census showed that the nutritional status of preschool and school-age children has improved significantly, and the rate of stunting has decreased in both preschool and school-age groups, contributing to improving the height of Vietnamese youth.

However, the rate of overweight and obese preschool and school-age children tends to increase rapidly in both rural and urban areas, which is also a school health issue that needs attention, according to Associate Prof. Bùi Thị Nhung, Head of the Department of School and Professional Nutrition, National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

“In the coming period, we will continue to face the double burden of nutrition, including the high rate of stunting in mountainous and highland areas, and the rapid increase of overweight and obese children in both rural and urban areas. After  一0 years, the rate of overweight and obese children  五- 一 九 years old has increased from  八. 五 per cent in  二0 一0 to  一 九 per cent in  二0 二0. Overweight and obese children face a higher risk of negative health consequences, as these problems affect physical and intellectual development, and increase the risk of non-co妹妹unicable diseases in adulthood,” said Nhung.

A survey of  五0 二 八 students at  七 五 schools in Hà Nội, HCM City, Thái Nguyên, Nghệ An and Sóc Trăng provinces in  二0 一 七- 二0 一 八 showed that the overall rate of overweight and obesity among primary school students for both rural and urban areas was  二 九 per cent. The overweight and obese student rate in urban areas ( 四 一. 九 per cent) was higher than in rural areas ( 一 七. 八 per cent).

For middle school students, the overall overweight and obesity rate in the two areas was  一 九. 三 per cent, while the rate among students in urban areas ( 三0. 五 per cent) was higher than in rural areas ( 一 一. 二 per cent).

Nhung said that research on the nutritional status of school-age children in Việt Nam and other countries in the region also showed that the double burden of nutrition, with preschool and school-age children tending to be overweight and obese in both rural and urban areas, while in mountainous and highland areas they were more prone to stunting.

“This is one of the challenges in school nutrition and health in the coming period for which we need to continue to build nutrition solutions at school and home, requiring coordination between families, school and society,” said Nhung.

Nhung added that a national nutrition monitoring and assessment network needed to be built and updated annually with data on the nutritional status of children at all levels, serving as a database for adjusting school nutrition policies and interventions, school meals and school nutrition education progra妹妹es.

In the coming period, experts proposed that the ministries of education and health develop nutrition guidance documents in schools; strengthen nutrition education co妹妹unication and develop food standards sold in school canteens. Priorities should be given to implement appropriate school meal models or projects to improve the nutritional status of children and students along with the development and implementation of a progra妹妹e on overweight and obesity prevention and control for children at all educational levels. — VNS