While Vietnam still remains one of the world’s worst countries in terms of infant malnutrition, the nation is concurrently grappling with a rising obesity rate according to a recent survey.

Despite widespread childhood malnutrition, Vietnam has seen a rise in the obesity rate among under-fives

The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) released a national nutrition survey conducted between 2009 and 2010, at a meeting in Hanoi on April 4.

NIN Deputy Director Dr. Le Danh Tuyen said the number of children aged below five and suffering from malnutrition had decreased by 1.5% per annum to 17.5% in 2010. Most of children suffering from malnutrition were located in the Central Highlands and northern mountainous areas.

Over the past decade, despite the number of under fives suffering stunted growth declining by 14% to 29.3% in 2010, Vietnam remains among a list of the 36 countries with the largest number children in such a group, he noted.

Ironically enough, while underweight and stunted growth is continuing to affect large numbers of children, the obesity rate was 0.6% higher than the national target for the 2001-2010 period.

The rate among under fives in cities reached 6.5%, higher than the national average, at 1.5%.

“Vietnam is facing double nutritional burden as it continues to record high malnutrition rates while the number of obese people continues to rise,” Tuyen emphasised.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien said, “The obesity rate among under-fives is nearly the same as the number of children suffering from malnutrition. This is a real concern. Both obesity and malnutrition have negative impacts on children’s health.”

The survey showed that the energy index in food rations for children aged between two and four in the country met only 95% of the standard requirement. While iron and Vitamin A indexes met 70% and 65% of the necessary daily intakes respectively.

The number of under-fives suffering from blood and clinical Vitamin A shortages reached nearly 30% during the period, while one in every three pregnant women nationwide suffered from iron deficiency.

In order to improve the situation, Tien proposed that nutrition should be included in education programmes for students.

More support should be given to areas with larger number of malnourished children.