Once I first got here to stay in Vietnam over 12 years in the past, I believed I used to be going to undertake the Vietnamese weight loss plan and way of life and by no means have to fret about being obese and unhealthy once more.
What I didn’t know, nonetheless, was that I used to be strolling right into a looming public well being disaster amongst a nation of those that I assumed ate wholesome meals on a regular basis.
A decade on, virtually 20% of younger individuals between the ages of 5 and 19 are both obese or overweight, whereas the prevalence of diabetes within the 10 years previous to 2016 had virtually doubled already, leaving an estimated 1 in 20 Vietnamese with the illness.
Who is aware of what that determine is immediately [*new update here].
Now, UNICEF has predicted that by 2030, virtually 2 million Vietnamese kids will probably be overweight if nothing is finished instantly.
And so as to add to that, it’s estimated that greater than 50% of individuals with diabetes in Vietnam don’t know they’ve it.
That’s a proverbial time bomb ticking proper there.
How did this nation recognized for its seemingly wholesome delicacies discover itself within the midst of such an alarming public well being subject?
Be a part of me on this first episode of my podcast collection through which I try to seek out out issues I ought to have recognized years in the past concerning the nation I now name residence.
Observe Matt on Instagram at @mattcowansaigon
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