China Is Fat Too!

at 5:12 PM

China, the world's fastest growing economy, was struggling to feed its population for such a long time.  Now it is facing the opposite problem.  Almost 30% percent of the population is over weight or obese.  Some 40% of Chinese boys in Beijing struggle with their weight; with affluence, a sedentary life style and abundance of processed food contributing to this problem.  This problem is more pronounced in bigger cities such as Shanghai and Beijing where more people are driving and have easier access to fast food.

According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine published in March, more than 90 million people in China have type II diabetes and experts estimate that by 2030 half a billion Chinese will have the disease.  This is creating a huge demand for low fat foods and weight loss programs (since they have worked so well in this country!!).  The Soyjoy bar made by a Japanese company is gaining huge popularity in China and soon the sales there will overtake those in the U.S.

Some in China, similar to many here are looking for a quick fix and are opting for bariatric surgery.  And purportedly, employers place a huge emphasis on physical beauty especially for women which is another incentive for a smaller waistline.