Rising Obesity Rates in China Causing Alarm among Experts

Obesity rates in China have been steadily increasing, particularly among the younger population, prompting experts to advocate for greater awareness of healthy lifestyles and improved treatment for the condition. A recent study published in the esteemed medical journal, The Lancet, has revealed a significant global rise in obesity rates for both adults and children. The study found that between 1990 and 2022, obesity rates for adults more than doubled, while rates for children and adolescents quadrupled, reaching a total of over 1 billion individuals worldwide.

The impact of this growing obesity epidemic has been particularly notable in China. The study discovered that the proportion of obese female adults has increased fourfold, whereas the proportion of obese male adults has risen elevenfold. As of 2022, the obesity rate was reported at 7.8 percent for Chinese women and 8.9 percent for Chinese men. Alarmingly, this trend is even more prevalent amongst young people in China, with significant increases in obesity rates for both girls and boys.

Professor Majid Ezzati from Imperial College London, the corresponding author of the study, expressed deep concerns about the mirroring of the obesity epidemic among school-aged children and adolescents, previously evident among adults worldwide in 1990. He emphasized the urgent need to enhance the availability and affordability of healthy, nutritious foods.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stressed the significance of preventing and managing obesity from an early age through diet, physical activity, and adequate care. According to Hu Jiajin, a professor at Chinese Medical University’s Institute of Health Sciences, lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise habits are closely linked to the risk of obesity, especially in children.

In light of these findings, there is a clear need for greater efforts at a national level in China to address obesity. Wang Yishu, deputy director of Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital’s internal medicine department, called for the establishment of a national-level clinical diagnosis and treatment committee targeting obesity, as well as the creation of multidisciplinary centers covering nutrition, exercise psychology, and drug use for obesity, akin to the diabetes centers found in many regions.

It is evident that the escalating rates of obesity in China require urgent attention and a concerted effort from all sectors of society to promote healthy lifestyles and effective management of the condition.

This article is supported by the medical journal The Lancet and quotes from various prominent experts in the field of public health and obesity research.