Local people in HCM City receive nutrition consultations at the 6th Việt Nam Community Nutrition Day held in HCM City on May 24. Photo courtesy of the organiser
HCM CITY — More than 3,000 locals and tourists participated in a wide range of exciting activities designed to equip them with essential knowledge on nutrition and healthy lifestyles at the 6th Việt Nam Community Nutrition Day held in HCM City on May 24.
Organised by Sức khoẻ và Đời sống (Health and Life) newspaper under the Ministry of Health in coordination with Herbalife Việt Nam, the annual event is aimed at raising public awareness of the vital role of balanced nutrition and regular exercise.
The highlights of the event were engaging nutritional knowledge and physical performances from the 20 competition teams, selected from over 100 registered groups.
This contest underscored the powerful role that supportive, like-minded communities play in helping individuals achieve long-term health and wellness goals.
Furthermore, more than 1,000 participants received personalised nutrition and fitness guidance from top health experts at free consultation booths.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Health Trần Văn Thuấn said that the conveniences of modern life have led to insufficient physical activity among Vietnamese people, increasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many chronic illnesses.
Fast food, sugary drinks, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and alcohol-abuse are silently eroding well-being, Thuấn said.
“The more the economy develops and technology becomes more convenient, the more people tend to be less active, eat faster, sleep later, and experience more stress,” he said.
Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer develop from these habits over many years, he said.
Disease prevention begins with small choices in daily life such as eating less salty meals, replacing sugary drinks with filtered water, spending 30 minutes walking each morning, and turning off your phone earlier each evening to get enough sleep, he added.
Trần Tuấn Linh, Editor-in-Chief of Sức khoẻ và Đời sống newspaper, said: “Maintaining a science-based diet combined with personalised exercise on a regular basis and sustaining an optimistic mind is the simplest yet most effective ‘prescription’ for health protection.”
Through this programme, the organisers hope to spread healthy living habits to the wider community, he said. —VNS