Editorials

A weighty problem

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-03-12 07:25

Beijing has come up with one more measure to tackle an increasingly weighty problem. Its latest guideline on how to lead a healthy life is informative about healthy diets, enough sleep and suitable levels of physical activity.

The guideline comes as a timely reminder when our waistlines are increasing and calorie intake is rising, even though we are more aware of the importance of leading a healthy life now. Beijing residents on average are consuming more than two times the recommended amount of salt and almost double the amount of oil per day.

Overweight or obesity increases health risks among people and is primarily an urban problem. In Beijing, Shanghai and other large cities, high-calorie eateries have become the restaurants of choice for the country's growing middle class. The percentage of obese children in Shanghai is nearly three times the national average.

An estimated one in every six people in China - or about 215 million individuals - is overweight, according to the World Health Organization. The number of overweight and obese people in the country increased 46.8 percent and 80.6 percent from 1992 to 2002.

The differences in dietary habits across China make people living in the north more vulnerable to obesity than those in the south. Also, and the percentage of obese and overweight people is higher in urban than rural areas.

Traditional dietary habits are changing. We are consuming more oil, fat and processed food at home, and eating out more often. Our energy intake from meat rose from 8 percent in 1982 to more than 25 percent in 2002.

People walk and cycle less. In contrast, the use of cars, buses and motorcycles is growing. Studies have found that men who own a car are twice as likely to be overweight.

To stop the obesity epidemic from spreading, the country needs innovative and culturally relevant prevention and intervention programs. We can learn from other countries' experiences, too. For example, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors last year banned restaurants from putting children's toys in meal sets that contained more than 600 calories.

Apart form recommending a balanced diet, our urban planners have to promote physical activity among people. Local governments have to take measures that encompass sociological factors such as education, availability of information on health and cultural beliefs. Many people still believe that excess body fat represents health and prosperity.

Governments cannot change what people put on their dining table. But they can inform people of what constitutes a healthy diet and lifestyle and how they can prevent them from going to an early grave.

On this score, the Beijing government is on the right track.

(China Daily 03/12/2011 page5)