How China’s Obesity Crisis Threatens Healthcare Delivery

The authorities in China have a palpable challenge on their hands, an obesity crisis that now stands to further stretch healthcare delivery provisions.

The escalating obesity crisis, have forced the authorities to resort to concerted actions including standardised guidelines for weight diagnoses and treatment.

More than half of her adult population already overweight and obese, and there are expectation of a steady rise in obese cases, and this is creating a panic mood in some quarters.

An indication of how serious the issue is being perceived, the National Health Commission (NHC) had recently published its first set of guidelines to standardise the diagnosis and treatment of obesity.

The NHC says the rate of overweight or obese people could reach 65.3% by 2030, the NHC said.

“Obesity has become a major public health issue in China, ranking as the sixth leading risk factor for death and disability in the country,” the guidelines said.

There have been links between the level of technological innovations in Beijing and the problem of obesity or overweight in the country.

It is in the sense that the effective deployment of machines and robots has tended to reduce the physical energy which humans exert working in offices and factories.

Sitting for prolonged hours or not engaged in meaningful physical activity,  has tended to exacerbate the weight gain imbroglio

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One account said China’s obesity crisis for now was underpinned in the fact that more jobs have become static or desk-bound, while a prolonged slowdown in growth is forcing people to adopt cheaper, unhealthy diets.

There is a higher incidence in the industrial areas, Job stress, long work hours and poor diets are growing high- risk factors in the cities, while in rural areas, agriculture work is becoming less physically demanding and inadequate healthcare is leading to poor screening and treatment of weight problems, doctors and academics say.

A Global Times picture shows Chinese students tasting out cuisines preparatory to making their choices

The guidelines provide guidance and regulations including in clinical nutrition, surgical treatment, behavioural and psychological intervention, and exercise intervention for obesity, Zhang Zhongtao, director of the guideline drafting committee and deputy head of Beijing Friendship Hospital told the official Xinhua news agency.

China’s NHC and 15 other government departments in July launched public awareness efforts to fight obesity. The campaign, set to last for three years, is built around eight slogans: “lifelong commitment, active monitoring, a balanced diet, physical activity, good sleep, reasonable targets and family action.”

Health guidelines were distributed to primary and secondary schools in July urging regular screening, daily exercise, hiring nutritionists and implementing healthy eating habits – including lowering salt, oil and sugar.

Three days last August, 16-18, to be pricewise, appear to also have responded to the China obesity crisis. Overweight issues dominated discussions in Beijing, the Chinese capital at the 3rd China Obesity Congress (COC) 2024.

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The programme brought together over 1,200 participants at the National Congress Centre, featuring keynote presentations by World Obesity representatives.

The congress also agreed on initiatives that would equip healthcare professionals in China with the latest knowledge and tools to effectively address obesity in their practices.

With these ongoing efforts, it is expected that China would come out of its overweight crisis