China adds anti-obesity drive to Healthy China initiative

BEIJING -- China is intensifying efforts to tackle rising obesity rates by adding a nationwide weight management campaign to its Healthy China initiative, a comprehensive public health strategy launched in 2019 to improve national health outcomes.

The move was announced Monday in a circular issued by the National Health Commission, which stated that the new weight management drive targets overweight and obesity, now considered "a major public health threat" to Chinese people.

Under the updated plan, China aims to make substantial progress by 2030. Key goals include creating supportive environments for healthy weight management, raising public awareness and skills, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and slowing the rising trend of obesity.

Authorities also hope to improve weight-related health outcomes among high-risk groups.

"By 2030, we aim to build a system of broad participation and shared benefits in body weight management," the circular said.

The initiative reflects growing concern over expanding waistlines in China. Experts have pointed to increasingly sedentary lifestyles and high-calorie diets as key contributors to the problem -- trends consistent with global patterns.

Data from the National Health Commission shows that more than half of Chinese adults are overweight or obese. If current trends continue, that figure could rise to 70.5 percent by 2030, health officials have warned.

Two additional initiatives -- one focused on improving rural health and another on promoting traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) -- were also incorporated into the Healthy China framework.

The rural health program aims to bridge the gaps in health literacy and access between urban and rural residents, while the traditional medicine initiative focuses on expanding the availability and acceptance of TCM services, according to the circular.

With just five years remaining before the 2030 deadline, the Healthy China initiative now comprises 18 targeted action plans, all aimed at building a healthier and more resilient population.