Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan giving flowers to Vu Van Thang, general manager of Herbalife Vietnam and Cambodia

The contest started on August 11, and is open to all Vietnamese citizens aged 18 and over. The contest is designed to have three rounds challenging participants to make positive physical changes through the knowledge they learn and exercise they take for a three-month period.

The participants are requested to answer questions on nutrition, exercise, and sports and will have chances to interact with experts and share their experiences.

Vu Van Thang, general manager of Herbalife Vietnam and Cambodia said, “Our support of this initiative is aligned with our long-term agenda to partner with related stakeholders to enhance people’s access to essential health and nutrition knowledge and encourage the wider public to live healthy active lives."

Thang continued, "I believe that all people can make positive changes to their bodies on the condition that they are provided with science-based guidance and inspired to adopt healthier habits by supportive communities. I hope the contest will bring in exciting and helpful experiences for all the participants."

According to the Vietnam National Institute of Nutrition, the country has about 12.5 million new cases of people with hypertension, 3.5 million people with diabetes and 2 million people with cardiovascular diseases each year as a result of nutritional imbalance and lack of physical activities in sports.

In addition, according to a survey by the Ministry of Health, 28.7 per cent of the Vietnamese population are faced with health risks as a result of their lack of exercise.

Tran Tuan Linh, editor-in-chief of Life and Health Newspaper said, “Lack of regular exercise and unhealthy food are the main factors behind the current megatrends such as obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. The campaign aims at providing the public with essential knowledge on nutrition and fitness, highlighting the importance of healthy food and physical exercise. We hope that the contest will receive high responsiveness from an audience nationwide who will not only strive to make positive physical changes but also help inspire others to follow suit.”