On 11/8, doctor Truong Hong Son, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Medical Association, announced that the average height of Vietnamese men is currently 168.1 cm, and women 156.2 cm. Compared to 10 years ago, young men have increased by 3.7 cm, and women by 2.6 cm. In Southeast Asia, the height of Vietnamese people is behind Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. A decade prior, Vietnamese people were among the shortest in the region, only taller than Indonesians and Filipinos.

According to the average height statistics of countries worldwide, based on research by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, the average height of Vietnamese people ranks 153rd out of a total of 201 countries and territories. Currently, the global average height for men is around 171 cm, meaning Vietnamese men are 3 cm shorter than the world average. This also represents a significant gap compared to leading nations like the Netherlands, where men average approximately 185 cm, or regional countries such as Japan and South Korea, where men average 173 cm.

"The height of Vietnamese people has changed over recent years, but the increase is slow, and they remain among the shortest globally," said Son, adding that to close the height gap between Vietnamese people and other nations, attention must be paid to children's nutrition and physical activity.

Nationally, the modest stature of the population highlights gaps in nutritional regimes, living environments, and school physical development strategies. Diets lacking micronutrients, unscientific lifestyles, and low levels of physical activity among school-aged children are hindering their development. Four factors determine stature: genetics, nutrition, physical training, and sleep.

According to Son, school age is a crucial period for height growth. Therefore, nutrition during this stage should not merely aim to "fill children's stomachs" but must meet the demands of physical development and stature. However, school meals are primarily viewed from the perspective of ensuring food safety and limiting the risk of poisoning. This approach, according to experts, often turns school meals into a "communal kitchen" type, no different from meals provided to factory workers.

"School meals must be designed according to children's developmental needs, rather than just ensuring they eat enough and safely," Son stated.

Children in the Mekong Delta play soccer to increase physical activity. Photo: Ngoc Tai

At the comprehensive school health care program event on 11/8, associate professor doctor Nguyen Quang Dung, head of the nutrition department at Hanoi Medical University, stated that student diets must be calculated based on energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Menus also need to ensure essential amino acids, a balance between animal and plant protein sources, and other food groups.

Students' nutritional needs can vary by region and physical condition. With many children being overweight or obese, diets should be adjusted according to actual energy requirements instead of applying a uniform menu.

Nutrition education also needs to be integrated into schools, according to associate professor Dung. Children must understand why they should eat diverse foods, increasing vegetables and fiber. Fiber plays a role in controlling blood fat, blood sugar, and weight. "Schools can organize extracurricular activities to discuss nutrition. Children need to be gradually informed to change their attitudes," Dung said.

Nguyen Chinh Nghia, director of the Center for Communication and Community Healthcare, believes that schools are not only places for imparting knowledge but also environments for forming lifelong health habits. Accordingly, nutrition education, physical activity, mental health care, and self-protection skills must be implemented alongside the academic curriculum. Standardizing and improving the quality of school meals is one of the foundations for building a healthier generation of students with better stature.

Currently, some school nutrition models have experimented with diverse menus, limiting repeated dishes, reducing salt and sugar, and adjusting seasonally and according to local specificities. However, these models, while initially effective, are isolated and have not been widely replicated.

Le Nga