Beijing teens getting heavier, report says

Beijing's children and teens are growing, but not in a healthy way. The obesity rate in the capital ballooned from 14 percent in 2006 to 20 percent in 2013 - significantly higher than the national average - according to the annual Report on Beijing Healthy City Construction, which was released on Monday.

The average rate nation-wide for males and females was 8.6 and 4.1 percent in 2010, the most recent year for which national figures are available, according to the report jointly issued by seven organizations, including the Beijing Health Promotion Commission. Surveys are conducted every five years.

Nearly 19 percent of male students and 11 percent of female students in Beijing were obese in 2010, the report said.