The average heights of Vietnamese people are still less than their neighbors while the growth speed is also slower than that of the world, the Vietnam Medicine Association reported at a scientific seminar.
Dr. Truong Hong Son, deputy head of the Association cum Director of Vietnam Institution of Applied Medicine said that studies showed Vietnamese height growth is still low during 30 years.
These studies indicated that the average height of Vietnamese male has only grown 4.4 centimeter ( from 1.6 meter to 1.644 meter) and the average height of female by 3.4 meter ( from 1.5 meter to 1.534 meter ) over 30 years.
Vietnam is ranked in the group of countries with the shortest average heights. Vietnamese men are the 19th shortest in the world, and women are the 13th shortest.
Nutrition experts said that the low height growth of Vietnam is linked many reasons including vitamin deficiency.
Professor Le Bach Mai, former director of the National Nutrition Institution said that malnutrition rate dropped from 51 percent to 14 percent within 30 years , yet the rate of stunt people just reduce half from 59.7 percent to 26 percent
As per latest studies, one amongst six kids under five is undernourished; and seven in every 10 kids suffer from zinc deficiency and one of every two kids suffers anemia.
SGGP