By ZHANG NA/MA
GUANSHENG
Obesity has become a serious public health problem globally, not only in developed countries, but also in developing countries, not only among adults, but also among children.
In 2015, about 107.7 million children and 603.7 million adults were obese worldwide. Among the 20 countries with large populations, the highest prevalence rate of adult obesity was 35.3 percent in Egypt, and lowest was 1.6 percent in Vietnam. The highest prevalence rate of obesity in children appears in the United States with 12.7 percent and the lowest in Bangladesh, 1.2 percent. Although the obesity rate is currently smaller in developing countries, if no effective interventions are taken, the obesity rates in developing countries will soon catch up with or even overtake the obesity rates in developed countries.
According to the Report on Nutrition and Chronic Diseases of Chinese Residents, released by the National Health Commission in December, the overweight and obesity rate of urban and rural residents of all age groups continues to rise; and more than half of adults are overweight or obese.
Although the overall overweight and obesity rate in China is lower than that of developed countries in Europe and the US, the absolute number will be the largest.
In addition, the situation of obesity is more threatening considering the rapid increase of the overweight and obesity rate in China. The rate was lower than 5 percent before the 1980s; it started to increase in the 1990s, and has kept soaring to 50 percent since 2020.
The factors contributing to the rapid growth of obesity are many and complex, including genetics, diet, lack of physical activity, food environment and culture. Among above-mentioned, an obesogenic environment, one that encourages people to eat unhealthily and not do enough exercise, plays a key role in obesity growth, including irrational diets with an oversupply of fat, overconsumption of food items with high energy density, skipping breakfast, increased consumption of soft drinks, more frequent eating out, insufficient physical activity and increased time in front of a screen.
The socioeconomic and cultural context in China also contribute to obesity. Studies indicated that the higher the socioeconomic status including income and education level, the higher the obesity prevalence.
Obesity not only impacts health, but also hinders social development. Obesity is a kind of disease per se, and also a risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular, endocrinology, respiratory systems, liver, skeleton, psychological behaviors, cognitive and intelligence capacity.
What’s more, obesity is a serious economic burden. The share of noncommunicable disease spending caused by obesity against the total health expenditure for China is higher than that of Australia and France. Between 2000 and 2025, the indirect losses caused by obesity will account for 3.6 to 8.7 percent of gross national product.
To fight against obesity, the World Health Organization has released a series of guiding reports, such as the Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity. In China, actions and policies closely related to obesity prevention and control have also been launched, such as the Outline of the Programme for Food and Nutrition Development in China (2014-20), the National Nutrition Plan (2017-30), and the Implementation Plan for Prevention and Control of Obesity among Children and Adolescents.
Besides carrying out related policies, lessons from the US in the battle with obesity should also be learned. More measures must be formulated in China; otherwise, the window of opportunity will close.
First, creating a supportive environment. The country should actively carry out education and awareness campaigns, improve the availability of healthy food and provide sufficient physical activity facilities in communities. At the same time, the whole of society should work together to create a positive and healthy social environment.
Second, creating a good nutritional environment in early life. During pregnancy, reasonable diets and adequate physical activity should be ensured in order to control weight gain and keep appropriate growth. It is recommended that infants be breastfed for six months, and gradually complementary food be added after six months. Attention should be paid to the balanced nutrition and energy of complementary food.
–The Daily Mail-China Daily News Exchange Item
