Vietnam’s food environment is changing fast. Policy needs to catch up
More than half of the world’s population could be living with overweight or obesity by 2035, with a rapidly growing share in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is also estimated that the global economic impact could top US$4 trillion by that time. These trends are closely tied to the rise of obesogenic food environments; settings where unhealthy food options are cheap,
Vietnam’s food environment is changing fast. Policy needs to catch up
More than half of the world’s population could be living with overweight or obesity by 2035, with a rapidly growing share in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is also estimated that the global economic impact could top US$4 trillion by that time. These trends are closely tied to the rise of obesogenic food environments; settings where unhealthy food options are cheap, ubiquitous, and heavily promoted.
Walk into any Hanoi convenience store and you will see “Mua 1 tặng 1” (buy-one-get-one) banners on sugary drinks. These promotions are not background noise; they shape habits. In Ho Chi Minh City, over a third of adolescents report drinking at least one sugary beverage every day.
Meanwhile, childhood overweightness in Vietnam has risen quickly: among children aged 5–19, prevalence more than doubled between 2010 and 2020. These are not just isolated statistics; they reflect what kids actually face in stores, schools, streets, and on screens every day.