Obesity is Becoming a Problem in China

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, China is beginning to have problem with weight. Nearly 20 percent of the 1.3 billion people that live in China are overweight and the problem has become extreme among children. Between 1985 and 2000 the number of overweight children has increased 28 times.

China’s economy is booming and along with that comes money and business. They are now able to afford cars, where before the biggest majority of the Chinese rode bicycles. Fast food restaurants have also become common place on China.

China will soon be faced with an epidemic of citizens that are suffeingr from the usual weight related illnesses, such as; diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and a number of other conditions related to being overweight. China’s fast growing economy will pay out a lot to treat these illnesses if they don’t start getting their weight under control.

At the rate that China has gone from starving to being overweight, they are going to be in trouble if they don’t start making some changes. The weight gain is credited to a diet that has changed from cereals and grains to animal products and fats.

More than 1 in 5 Chinese residents is overweight, but this statistic is still shy of that of the United States, where 3 in 5 adults are overweight. According to Chinese culture, that excess body fat is a sign of wealth and prosperity, but if it ruins your health, what good is that health and prosperity.

Let’s hope that the Chinese are able to do something about their weight problem before it reaches the epidemic proportions that it has gotten to in the United States. The last thing the Chinese need after improving their economy is a country full of people with weight related illnesses.

Marjorie Salada is the owner of Weight Loss 3000, a website that contains information on weight loss, exercise, weight loss surgery and living a healthy lifestyle.