December 24, 2020

Anna Murray 

A report released by China's National Health Commission on December 23 indicates 34.3% of adults are overweight and 16.4% are obese. The study reveals more than half of Chinese adults are overweight.

In definition, for adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 18.5 to 24.9 means healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 means overweight, 30 to 39.9 means obese and 40 or above means severely obese. 

The report indicated less than a quarter of the adults get exercise or physical activity at least once a week. In addition, the study pointed out that diet and eating habits of increasing meat consumption without sufficient fruits also makes a contributing factor to the nation's growing waistlines.

In contrast, the US reported 71.6% of adults between 2015 and 2016 were classified as overweight, including obese. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with excessive weight are usually vulnerable to suffer serious disease and ill health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

According to the report, Chinese adults have weight increases closely correlated to the incidence of chronic diseases. In 2019, death tolls in chronic illnesses accounted for more than 88% in China. The majority of Chinese adults having overweight conditions are suffering from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.

Photo:Webshot.