End prejudice to help obese people become fit

Nearly 40 years of economic growth has liberated the majority of Chinese people from arduous physical labor, but they still seem to have an irresistible craving for high-calorie food which they acquired during the long shortages of necessities, even famines, in the past. And because of this craving, many of them have become overweight or obese, posing a public health threat.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has warned in its recent report that people's widening waistline is fast evolving into a major inducement to chronic diseases.

The rate of overweight individuals is higher in the northern part of China compared to the southern part. Tianjin has the highest rate of overweight people (40.9 percent), among all provinces and regions, with the Tibet autonomous region (18.4 percent) having the lowest. Beijing has the highest rate of obesity (25.9 percent) in China, and Hainan province and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region the lowest (5.7 percent), the center said in the report.