CHINA BATTLES THE BULGE

Three-year campaign targets growing obesity crisis which weighs heavy on the future

- Tan Dawn Wei

Aerospace engineer Wang Hao, 45, has struggled with his weight for more than 20 years.

The Beijing-based father of one – who is 1.84m tall and weighs 124kg – began piling on the pounds in 2003, after graduating from university and starting a busy work life.

“My weight gain is mainly caused by the large amount of oil and calories in my diet, combined with little to no exercise,” said Mr Wang, whose ideal weight should be under 80kg.

He noticed that his blood pressure has also gone up in the past two years, and while he had previously attempted to reduce his weight through dieting and exercise, he simply could not keep it up.

“A lack of time is the biggest obstacle,” he added. “And the willpower to keep at it.”

China has declared a three-year war against obesity in a bid to help citizens like Mr Wang achieve a healthy weight, as the country struggles to stem a crisis that could lead to two-thirds of its population being overweight by 2030.

The national health authority in June rolled out a new policy to fight expanding waistlines that involves 16 government ministries and departments in the most comprehensive national strategy to date.

China’s obesity rates have soared in recent decades, with more than half the country’s 1.4 billion population overweight. By 2030, almost 70 per cent of Chinese could weigh more than they should, studies have projected.

There are 2.5 billion adults in the world – 43 per cent of the population – who are overweight, including 890 million adults living with obesity, said the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The UN health body classifies as overweight those with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9, and obese as over 30. China considers those with a BMI of 24 to 27.9 as overweight, and over 28 as obese.