More clinics to manage weight

All major hospitals will set up weight management clinics by the end of June as part of efforts to battle the escalating problem of obesity and help people who are overweight, according to a notice released by the National Health Commission and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Thursday.

The requirement applies to all general hospitals, pediatric and TCM hospitals under direct administration by the commission, the administration and provincial-level authorities.

Other tertiary hospitals at the top of the nation's three-tier hospital system are also encouraged to establish weight management clinics.

Official data shows that the rate of obesity and those who are overweight among Chinese people aged 18 and above has exceeded 50 percent, while the obesity rate among children and teenagers aged 6 to 17 is close to 20 percent.

Without effective measures to tackle the upward morbidity trend, prevalence among adults is expected to reach 70.5 percent by 2030, with the rate among children climbing to 31.8 percent.

The document clarifies that a weight management clinic should be staffed by specialists in the fields of pediatrics, general practice, endocrinology, nutrition, psychiatry and psychology, cardiovascular medicine, gastroenterology, general surgery, rehabilitation and TCM.

It added that hospitals with strong capabilities are encouraged to establish obesity prevention and control centers and provide hospitalized services.

Grassroots healthcare clinics will receive support in their efforts to establish weight management clinics, with an emphasis on raising awareness, providing follow-up care and health management services, and facilitating referrals to major hospitals.

Internet technologies, artificial intelligence and wearable devices can be used by hospitals to help monitor and guide patients, it said.

Health authorities have also emphasized dividing visitors into different categories and providing tailored services. For instance, patients dealing with obesity and metabolic disorders will be able to receive medical treatment, and designated groups such as the elderly, children and pregnant women will be provided with personalized weight management plans.

China announced in June of last year that it will launch a three-year campaign aimed at spreading awareness about weight management and healthy lifestyles with the aim of creating a friendly social environment.

Health Minister Lei Haichao said in March that excess weight is linked to higher risks of chronic diseases — one of the biggest killers of Chinese people — such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some forms of cancer.

He also noted the significance of establishing more weight management clinics to offer professional consultations for those in need.

Yin Xiao, a physician from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital's endocrinology department, suggested all patients with obesity receive basic guidance in nutrition, exercise and psychological guidance consistently and consider medications or surgeries depending on their condition.

Yin said that China has so far approved five medications to treat adult obesity, but they must be prescribed and managed by medical professionals.

wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn