BEIJING: The Chinese government is stepping up efforts to combat obesity, with over half its 1.4 billion population now overweight.
At a press conference on the sidelines of the People’s Congress, National Health Commission Minister Lei Haichao acknowledged that many “comrades” struggle with weight management and related chronic diseases.
To address this, China plans to expand health awareness campaigns, establish outpatient counselling centres, and encourage hotels to provide in-room weighing scales.
Historically, China battled hunger, not obesity.
A press release last year noted that feeding the population was once the primary challenge, particularly before economic reforms in the late 1970s. But rising prosperity has shifted the burden to lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.
The trend is worsening — while over 50 per cent of adults were overweight in 2020, the Health Commission warns this could reach 65.3 per cent by 2030. – BERNAMA
