VietNamNet Bridge – As many as 15 per cent of state employees aged 45-49 in Ha Noi and HCM City are overweight or obese, according to the latest National Institute of Nutrition survey.

The survey showed 9.9 per cent of people aged 45-49 in urban areas were overweight or obese, with Ha Noi and HCM City registering the highest number of overweight people, and state employees forming the largest group.

Institute deputy director Nguyen Thi Lam said reasons for the high level of obese and overweight state employees included living in large cities where fatty foods were readily available.

She added that this group were also prone to spending longer amounts of time in offices, with less time for physical exercise.

Some state employees also had trouble maintaining a balanced diet, she said.

"People aged 45-49 are prone to high weight due to changes in their hormones, which allows fat to naturally gather in the body," Lam said.

"Being overweight or obese is dangerous as it can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems."

Overweight and obese people often find it hard to lose weight, as they fight the duel battle of getting rid of fat already in their bodies and changing their lifestyle to stop new fat accumulating, she said.

Most obese people were often unsuccessful in reducing their weight after finding it too hard to lose weight, Lam said.

"If people want to lose weight, they must control their diet, and balance the food they eat everyday," Lam said.

People should gradually reduce the amount of fat and glucose in their diet and increase the amount of vegetables, she said.

People should also engage in physical exercises for 30-60 minutes per day to increase their fitness and burn fat.

Extremely obese people can also have gastric band surgery to reduce the size of their stomach, which has proved successful.

"The most important thing is people should be patient and think about the long-term effects of their actions," Lam said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News