China unveils first diagnostic guidelines to combat escalating obesity crisis

HONG KONG –

China’s National Health Commission (NHC) has released its first guidelines to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of obesity, as more than half of adults in China are already overweight and obese and rates are expected to continue to rise.

The guidelines, released on October 17, come at a time when China is experiencing an increasing morbidity trend among the overweight and obese population. The proportion of people who are overweight or obese could reach 65.3% by 2030, the NHC said.

“Obesity has become a major public health problem in China and is the sixth leading risk factor for death and disability in the country,” the guidelines said.

China faces a dual challenge that is exacerbating its weight problem: In a modernizing economy underpinned by technological innovation, more jobs are static or desk-bound, while a persistent slowdown in growth is forcing people to eat cheaper and unhealthier options to feed.

Work stress, long hours and poor nutrition are increasingly becoming risk factors in cities, while in rural areas agricultural work is becoming less physically demanding and inadequate health care is leading to inadequate screening and treatment of weight problems, doctors and scientists say.

The guidelines provide guidelines and regulations for clinical nutrition, surgical treatment, behavioral and psychological intervention, and exercise for obesity, among others, Zhang Zhongtao, director of the guideline draft committee and deputy head of Beijing Friendship Hospital, told the official Xinhua News Agency.

China’s NHC and 15 other government agencies launched awareness campaigns to combat obesity in July. The three-year campaign is based on eight slogans: “Lifelong commitment, active monitoring, balanced diet, physical activity, good sleep, sensible goals and family involvement.”

In July, health guidelines were distributed to primary and secondary schools, requiring regular check-ups, daily exercise, hiring nutritionists and establishing healthy eating habits – including reducing salt, oil and sugar.

Obesity in China is an “unintended consequence of improving living standards in the country”, Xinhua said, after China struggled to feed its population for centuries and malnutrition was a real concern for many families before reform and opening-up in the late 1970s Years.