Science and Health

China faces big obesity challenge: researcher

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-13 15:36

STOCKHOLM - A research showed China faced a big challenge to fight rising obesity, the head of an international study association told Xinhua Monday.

The increasing use of vehicles was among the main causes of the increase in obesity worldwide and in China, said Professor Philip James, president of the International Association for the Study of Obesity.

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"You can see in Beijing and many other cities that, as soon as people are no longer cycling to work, but travel by bus, you can see they quickly put on weight. Then if they get into a car, they put on even more weight," said the professor, who has been following the obesity problem in China for the past 15 years.

Citing Stockholm as a good example, he suggested China should build more rail links like those from Beijing to Shanghai. "That means you have to build the cities so that people can walk and bicycle," James said.

Meanwhile, the popularization of British and American food in China worsened the situation, said James, who is in Stockholm for the ongoing 11th International Congress on Obesity.

"You have American food companies persuading the Chinese people that American and British food are wonderful, when you should be persuading the world that your Chinese food is wonderful," he said.

"So people are adding oil to the food in incredible amounts, amazing amounts, and then you are allowing soft drinks, with sugar in it to be sold everywhere. That is a big mistake," he said.

"My worry about China is that you have a highly educated population, you are extremely good economically, but you are allowing the development of cities and towns which are guaranteed to make you obese," James said.

Obesity is not only a social problem, but also an economic one, he said, adding the World Health Organization predicted China's economic growth would be slowed by falling health levels among the people.

"And it is actually a big amount, it is billions of dollars worth, therefore economically you should be thinking in a different way," James said.

He called on the Chinese government to establish "completely new policies" as health problems caused by wrong food had already started taking a toll on the economy.

China should not repeat the mistakes of Western countries, and those mistakes could be avoided, James said, citing South Korea as a good example of keeping to its own diet and staying fit.

The Chinese government should encourage new trains instead of the auto industry, and should encourage local food businesses instead of Western food companies as Chinese traditional food was much better from the health point of view, he said.