The highest rate was for primary school students and the rate of male students was higher than female students.

According to Dr Pham Ngoc Oanh, Head of the Department of Nutrition, Center for Disease Control of Ho Chi Minh City, the study was carried out at 33 schools (10 primary schools, 12 junior high schools, 11 high schools), with more than 12,000 students equal in age, gender and areas of residence.

The results showed that the proportion of overweight and obese students was 43.7%, compared to 21.9% in 2009.

Considering students of each level of education, the rate of overweight and obesity students in primary schools in Ho Chi Minh City was 38.5% in 2009 and 56.9% in 2019. The rates for students of junior high schools were 15.7% in 2009 and 41.9% in 2019 and 9.4% and 25.3% for high-school students.

According to Dr Oanh, this study shows that primary school students are more overweight and obese, male students are more obese than female students, and the rate is higher in urban areas than in suburban areas.

On December 27, the Center for Disease Control of Ho Chi Minh City (HCDC) said that obesity and being overweight accounted for the highest rate (28.96%) among school diseases in HCM City. 

Another survey carried out in 2021 also showed overweight and obesity rates in Hanoi and HCM City made up 18 per cent of the country’s total number of overweight and obese people.

The obesity rate among children in ages five to 19 years old increased from 8.50 percent in 2010 to 19 percent in 2020, of which the overweight and obesity rate in urban areas was 26.80 percent, 18.30 percent in rural areas and 6.90 percent in mountainous areas.

Linh Giao