Nutrition experts warn that the rate of metabolic disorders in Vietnam is increasing rapidly, especially in the young demographic of generations Y and Z.

Doctor Phan Bich Nga, Head of the Children's Nutrition Clinic (National Institute of Nutrition), stated that the main cause stems from an unbalanced lifestyle and diet - excessive energy but lacking in essential nutrients.

Urban youth consume large amounts of protein, fat, processed foods, and fast food, but lack fresh foods such as vegetables and fruits.

“Young people are mentally active but do little physical exercise, mostly sitting in offices. Children at school have limited outdoor activities. All of this creates a cycle that increases obesity and metabolic disorders,” doctor Nga explained.

Eating disorders

Dr Truong Hong Son, Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Medical Association, said that in the past, most deaths were related to infectious diseases. Today, an average of 8 out of 10 people suffer from at least one non-communicable chronic disease, mainly due to unhealthy lifestyles, poor dietary balance, or lack of exercise.

National nutrition survey data from the past 10 years shows that overweight and obesity rates among children over six have nearly doubled, from 8.4 percent to about 16 percent.

He said he is particularly concerned about the social media–driven eating trend among young people. “It is easy to see young people lining up for milk tea, spicy noodles, mixed rice paper, or trending dishes on TikTok and Instagram. They eat to check in rather than to meet real nutritional needs. This behavior leads to many consequences,” Son warned.

According to his analysis, this creates a loop: eating – posting photos – receiving feedback – feeling satisfied – and continuing eating according to trends. Young people gradually prioritize virtual satisfaction over natural hunger cues.

This leads to two dangerous extremes: Overeating when youth try all trending foods without controlling intake. Extreme restriction—after overeating, many young people try to quickly lose weight by fasting or detoxing, increasing the risk of eating disorders, anorexia, or self-induced vomiting.

“The long-term result is that young people snack constantly but skip main meals, causing severe nutritional imbalance,” doctor Son added.

Frequent snacking 

Son noted that most popular snacks today share similar characteristics: high in empty calories (sugar, saturated fat, trans fat), high in sodium (enhances taste but increases blood pressure), and lacking micronutrients (fiber, vitamins, minerals).

A 500ml milk tea contains 30–50g of sugar, while the World Health Organization recommends no more than 25g of free sugar per day. One instant noodle packet provides 400–500mg of sodium, and regularly eating spicy noodles pushes sodium intake far beyond recommendations.

Thus, prolonged consumption of such foods is essentially “self-poisoning,” increasing risks of obesity, metabolic disorders, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and micronutrient deficiencies due to an unbalanced diet.

Sleeping during the day, staying up at night

Work pressure, staying up late, irregular eating, and excess weight are becoming key contributors to rising digestive disorders.

According to professor Dao Van Long, while stomach diseases such as gastritis and ulcers were once dominant, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) now ranks first. It mainly affects people aged 30–50 and impacts more than 7 million Vietnamese. Without proper and timely treatment, GERD can lead to serious complications, including esophageal cancer.

Modern lifestyles - staying up late and sleeping during the day—also disrupt circadian rhythms, increasing pressure on the digestive system and worsening reflux and inflammation. Patients often experience burning sensations and chest discomfort, making treatment prolonged and persistent.

Associate Prof Nguyen Cong Long said digestive and pancreatic-biliary diseases are becoming increasingly common. Most patients are diagnosed late with poor prognosis, especially in chronic and malignant diseases.

With advances in endoscopy, most digestive diseases, including early-stage cancer, can now be detected in time.

Bach Mai Hospital is currently applying endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), a pioneering method from Japan for treating early gastrointestinal cancer. Precancerous lesions, commonly appearing as colorectal polyps, can be completely removed with ESD if detected early, curing patients without open surgery.

Phuong Thuy