Wealthier Chinese see waistlines grow too

As wallets swell in China, waistlines are expanding too. A new nationwide survey shows that people aged between 20 and 39 are becoming increasingly overweight and less athletic.

The survey of more than 43,000 adults found that more than 11 per cent of those aged 20 to 39 are obese, up 2 percentage points on a survey in 2010, and more than half of those say their lives are too busy to allow time for them to exercise regularly. "We are still analysing the reasons, but it couldn't be more obvious that the lack of exercise played a negative role," Tian Ye, director of the China Institute of Sports Science, told the China Daily newspaper.

The average weight gain of the group was 1.92kg, higher than figures of the other two age groups surveyed, between 40-59 years and over 60 years.

Balanced diet
Chinese people tend to be fairly trim, and the traditional diet stresses balance, mixing meat and vegetables and a carbohydrate, which is generally rice in the south and noodles in the north, as well as usually offering fruit as a dessert.

However, fast-food outlets have sprung up in China’s cities, and McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and KFC are packed.

The General Administration of Sport survey of 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities also found that 34.4 per cent of Chinese between 20 and 69 are overweight.

The rise in obesity is most noticeable among young males and middle-aged females in urban areas, a classic scenario in fast-developing economies.

Wang Li, a 28-year-old stockbroker, said there appeared to be more obese people about than before. “It is because the food we eat contains much more fat and oil and people don’t exercise. For example, after lunch, I have to go back to work right away. After work, I feel tired and I don’t want to move. Basically, I am either sitting or lying down the whole day,” said Wang.

Kang Lingshuang (33), who works at an international school, says people are eating more meat and whatever they like. “Especially the children, they are much fatter than before because parents always want to give them whatever they want. If they say they want to go to McDonald’s, they take them there. At school, they always have to study. At some middle school or high school, teachers got rid of PE classes and changed to maths or English or Chinese, so they are not getting any exercise,” she said.