China's north produces more obesity

China's north produces more overweight people. [File photo]

There are more overweight people in China's north than in its southern part, according to a report titled China's Index of Obesity 2015 released recently.

The report, released by China Academy of Social Sciences and a health company Lv Shou Group, said that cities in Northeast China where temperatures are much lower than other cities have more overweight residents. The average body-mass index (BMI, a value derived from an individual's weight and height) of the overweight in North China is over 35 percent, while in the south it's 27 percent. US experts say people considered to be a healthy weight have a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.

Temperature and what people eat daily are two major elements that lead to the obesity disparity, said Wang Jingzhong, a researcher with Health and Nutrition Institute of Center for Disease Control and Prevention. He explained when it's cold, people usually eat more and move less.

"People living in northern China have a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet, while southern people usually have rice as their staple. Besides, the former love alcohol," Wang said.

According to data provided by Lv Shou Group, people in the south, such as Guangzhou, pay more attention to their weight. Residents in Guangzhou top the list of buying weight-losing products on Lv Shou's online shop.

Compared with men, women are more easily to get unnerved by their weight, saod Zhou Hongming, chief consultant of Lv Shou. Women face more unfairness in the job market and stress in marriage due to their weight and appearance.