Urban living linked to slightly healthier diets but also higher overweight and obesity among adolescents in Viet Nam
Adolescence is a pivotal period for nutrition and health when young people begin to make more of their own decisions about what, where, and when to eat. Across low- and middle-income countries, adolescent development is now occurring alongside rapid changes in food environments—the places where people purchase and consume food—driven mainly by urbanization
- Vietnam
- urban areas
- diets
- nutrition
- overweight
By Phuong Nguyen, Kim Maasen, Elise Talsma, Rock Zagré, Soyra Gune, Lan Mai Tran, Mai Tuyet Truong, Nga Thu Hoang, Ngoc Ho Thi Vuong, Gabriela Fretes, Inge D. Brouwer, Marie Ruel, and Jef L. LeroyJuly 17, 2026
Key takeaways
- Adolescents living in urban areas of Viet Nam face a complex mix of diet challenges, a recent study shows.
- Urban adolescents face higher overnutrition risks. Overweight and obesity were nearly three times more common in urban than rural areas.
- Adolescent diets were slightly healthier in urban than in rural areas. Urban adolescents ate more healthy foods but also consumed more unhealthy foods.
First in a series.
Adolescence is a pivotal period for nutrition and health when young people begin to make more of their own decisions about what, where, and when to eat. Across low- and middle-income countries, adolescent development is now occurring alongside rapid changes in food environments—the places where people purchase and consume food—driven mainly by urbanization. These shifts often make unhealthy options such as ultra-processed snacks and other foods high in added sugar, saturated fats, and salt more convenient, affordable, and desirable.
In this blog series, researchers from the CGIAR Science Program on Better Diets and Nutrition explore how food environments in Viet Nam, Ethiopia, and Ghana shape adolescent diets and what actions are needed to support healthier choices during this critical stage of life.
This post highlights findings from a study that examined whether urbanicity is linked to adolescent diets and nutritional status in Viet Nam.