VietNamNet Bridge – Half of the fat in urban people’s food rations comes from meat while they eat only 200 gram of vegetable a day averagely, said an expert from the National Institute for Nutrition.

The institute’s Vice Director Le Bach Mai said that people need at least 400 gram of vegetable and fruit a day to reduce the risk of catching cardiovascular diseases. As people in Vietnam’s cities eat less vegetables, the ratio of people with high cholesterol in their blood is rising.

The institute carried out a survey of high cholesterol in four regions - urban (Hanoi and HCM City), rural, mountainous and the midlands - from 2007 through 2010, with the participation of nearly 5000 people at the age of 25-74.

Accordingly, 29 percent of them had high cholesterol content. The rate is 44.3 percent for the urban area. The rate of people with high cholesterol is three times higher for those at the age of 35 upwards in comparison with those of less than 35 years old. Experts said that this is a worrisome situation.

Mai said that the increase of cholesterol is closely connected with food. The survey shows that in urban people’s food rations, up to 42 percent of fat comes from meat.

“Many Vietnamese people think wrongly that if they eat meat, not fat, they will not get fat,” Mai said.

Prof. Pham Gia Khai, Chair of the Vietnam Cardiovascular Association, said that high cholesterol will cause cardiovascular diseases.

In the last two decades, the volume of vegetables taken by Vietnamese hasn’t changed, averaging 200 grams a day per person. Meanwhile, vegetables and fruits are very important for health.

PV