Vietnam hopes to increase the average height of men to 167cm and women to 157cm by 2020, according to a project drafted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
To meet the target, work will focus on promoting physical exercise and ensuring school-based nutrition.
Average heights of Vietnamese men and women have increased during the past several years.
According to the ministry's survey on the physical health of people aged between 6-60 years in 22 out of 63 provinces and cities, the average height of Vietnamese men is 163.7cm.
The survey, conducted throughout 2000 and 2001 also found that on average a Vietnamese man can run 940m within five minutes.
The average height of a Vietnamese woman is 153.4cm and she can run 722m within five minutes.
The survey's results indicated an increase in Vietnamese people's height as compared with surveys carried out after the war ended in 1975. At that time average height for men was 155cm, while a woman's average height was 145cm.
However, an 18-year-old Vietnamese man is 13.1cm shorter than the international average height, while women's are 10.7cm shorter.
The new project on increasing people's height, which has been submitted to the Government, will be carried out in three stages.
First stage
During the first stage from 2011-15, the project will study the main factors affecting the physical strength and height of students aged between 6-18 years, and carry out pilot measures on nutrition and physical exercises.
From 2016-20, the project will expand its measures, while during the 2021-30 phase, it will carry out campaigns to raise public awareness on healthy lifestyles and physical strength and height.
At a meeting with authorized ministries on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said that the project should pay attention to taking care of pregnant women and children aged younger than five years, as work in this area will help ensure an important foundation to further improving children's height and physical strength. He assigned the Health Ministry to preside over this issue.
Nhan said the project's management board should co-ordinate with schools to speed up greater promotion of sports activities for youth.
The project should join with the mass media to raise the profile of the issue in the public arena and aim for ensuring that by 2020, all mothers receive a consultation on reproductive health and care of babies.
Deputy director of the National Institute of Nutrition Le Danh Tuyen said nutrition plays a crucial role in improving the height and weight of children.
"To improve that area, pregnant women need to ensure they are getting sufficient essential vitamins which are available from a wide range of food," he said.
In addition, a diverse but balanced diet is required for children as well, Tuyen said.
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