In the past three decades, obesity has emerged insurmountably, not only in affluent nations but also in many low- and middle-income countries worldwide. It has been linked to various non-communicable diseases, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, stroke, colorectal cancer, and many other chronic conditions, such as musculoskeletal disorders, putting tremendous pressure on healthcare systems and the socio-economy. The Asia and Pacific region harbors the highest absolute number of people with overweight and obese, amounting to approximately 1 billion. In Southeast Asia, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased by almost 40% between 1990 and 2013. Although Vietnam has the lowest percentage of obese adults in the region (about 3.6%), we experienced a 38% increase in the number of obese people between 2010-2014, much higher than that in the University Kingdom and the United States (10% and 8% correspondingly). However, the problem is underestimated by not only healthcare professionals but also patients with obesity. These alarms underscore the necessity of implementing a comprehensive assessment and more focused and practical strategies for addressing obesity in Vietnam, where data has been limited. Therefore, our research has two arms: (1) characterization of patients with obesity to identify those at the highest risks for obesity complications, and (2) understating the attitudes and perceptions of people living with obesity to gain insights into the psychological factors associated with obesity. This research will be a foundation for further research on obesity in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

All Vietnamese, aged 18-65, diagnosed with obesity defined by BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 as per Asia-Pacific Guidelines for Obesity, present at University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City and My Duc General Hospital outpatient clinics, will be enrolled to the study. The patients will have:

• Standard anthropometric data will be done, using a professional medical HM200P Portable Height Stadiometer and a standardised ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001:2015 weight scale, by professional and experienced physicians according to standard study protocol: Weight, height, waist and hip circumference, waist to hip ratio, BMI calculated, followed by World Health Organization guidelines for Asian people.
• Blood pressure measure.
• Fat mass measured by the Tanita MC-780 MA (Serial: 17050004).
• Blood tests: fasting plasma glucose, cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, and triglyceride.
• Mood disorder screening by answering a Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subject is diagnosed with obesity defined by BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to cooperate with height measurement.
• Inability to answer questionnaire.

All Vietnamese, aged 18-65, diagnosed with obesity defined by BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 as per Asia-Pacific Guidelines for Obesity, present at University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City and My Duc General Hospital outpatient clinics will be enrolled to the study.