Experts call for lifestyle changes

Although the standards of care and treatment provided by China's health service are rising rapidly, experts say general fitness levels would really soar if people adjusted their lifestyles by cutting down on fats and salts and taking more exercise.

"Chinese people used to consume too much oil and salt. Unlike Western countries where baking and roasting are more prevalent, frying is the most common way of cooking in China," said Zhao Wenhua, deputy director of the Nutrition and Health Institute at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

"People should be encouraged to eat more good, protein-rich foods, such as soybeans and dairy products, and they should cut down on cooking with oil and salt," she said.