Obesity rises in China as unhealthy lifestyles take toll
- Increase linked to people eating out more often and greater consumption of sugary drinks
- About a fifth of children between six and 17 are overweight, study finds
China is facing severe levels of obesity and rising rates of chronic illness with over half of its adults overweight, according to a government report released on Wednesday.
Researchers surveyed more than 600,000 people across the country in a four-year study from 2015 and found an increase in obesity in all age groups.
“The issue of obesity is unceasingly apparent, and the onset of chronic illness continues to rise,” National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin said. “The problem of unhealthy lifestyles is universal.”
The share of people who are overweight is still lower in China than in many developed countries but the rates are rising quickly.
In 2015, the commission found that just over 30 per cent of adults were overweight, up more than 7 percentage points from 2002.
The World Health Organisation classifies Asians with a body mass index of 23-24.9 as overweight and those with a BMI of 25 or above as obese.
In the United States, over 70 per cent of adults are overweight, with over 40 per cent obese, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Beijing residents hit the gym as China wakes up to rising obesity
