Nutrition pyramid. — Photo HealthGenie.in Facebook

by Dr Phạm Vân Thúy*

Presently, in developing countries including Việt Nam, non-communicable diseases have become more common than infectious ones.

According to recent statistics by National Institute of Nutrition, 75 per cent of deaths in Việt Nam are caused by non-communicable diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer or gout.

National survey of adults showed that the rate of hypertension nearly doubled in 13 years, from 11.2 per cent in 1992 to 20.7 per cent 2005; the overweight-obesity rate doubled in five years, from 3.5 per cent in 2000 to 6.6 per cent in 2005 while the diabetes rate more than doubled in 10 years from 2.7 per cent in 2002 to 5.7 per cent in 2012.

The rates are much higher in big cities than in rural areas. Improper nutrition is a leading factor causing the rapid rise of the majority of these non-communicable chronic diseases.

A balanced diet is the key to your health because your body needs proper nutrition to function effectively. Without the right nutrition, your body might experience fatigue, poor performance, and is more prone to disease and infection.

Dietary habits are typically established in childhood and carry on into adulthood, making it crucial to teach children the importance of eating a healthy diet early on.

A healthy diet will not only help you control your weight, lower your cholesterol, it can also improve your concentration, alertness, problem-solving skills, productivity and general well-being.

Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy ideal weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases (like diabetes, heart disease, cancer), and promote your overall health.

Good nutrition doesn’t start with counting calories. It starts with knowing which foods are healthy, learning how to swap bad foods for good foods and knowing your body’s specific nutrient requirements for your activity level.

Who needs proper nutrition advice?

Children and adults who suffer from:

• Malnutrition, anorexia, low weight & height gain; chronic energy deficiency, underweight, cachexia.
• Vitamin or mineral deficiency: vitamins A, K, D, E, group B; iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium.
• Gastrointestinal disorders, constipation, diarrhoea.
• Metabolic disorders: Overweight, Obesity; Diabetes; Dyslipidemia; Hypertension; Osteoporosis, Gout; Cancer.
• Liver, Bile, Kidney diseases.
• Reproductive health care for pregnant, postpartum women, breastfeeding mothers.
• Nutrition rehabilitation after surgery.

With its balanced screening and assessment programme, the doctor aims to identify a patient's current nutritional status and to develop recommendations for his or her diet. The straightforward screening process allows to identify those who are at risk of malnourishment and might therefore be susceptible to disease. With that in mind, we created specific programmes for different target clients.  Hanoi French Hospital

*Associate professor, Ph.D, Doctor Phạm Vân Thúy works at the Nutrition department at HFH and has brought with her long term expertise nutrition counseling, treatment for children and adults, clinical nutrition and proper diet for patients.

If you have any questions or want to book an appointment with our doctors, please contact us at our phone number 84 – 24.3577.1100, or email us at contact@hfh.com.vn.