Obesity in Chinese Children

Obesity in Chinese children is one of the main conflicts occurring recently due to the massive number of increase in fast foods and restaurants including poorly rated cuisines. The increase of fast and junk food is linked to the amount of obese children and increases the risk of attracting various diseases. Consequently, the Chinese government has planned a solution for preventing the increase of obesity rates currently and in the future.

With an increasingly urban population in China, the country has become home to a high number of fast foods and poor cuisines. For instance, according to a study by The Guardian, a well-known fast food brand, KFC, has opened 600 new restaurants across the cities during the year of 2016. In addition, McDonald’s aimed to create 1,000 outlets over the past five years. Therefore, this outstanding amount of poorly rated cuisine settlements, leads to an unhealthy and non-nutritive balance in the daily diets of kids and teenagers (Ng).

The World Food Program has indicated that 23 percent of boys and 14 percent of girls under the age of 20 are considered obese in China. Furthermore, a report released by the World Obesity Federation states that by 2025, China is expected to have 48.5 million overweight children. The medical condition of obesity can lead to diseases such as pre-diabetes, diabetes, and heart disease. According to Dr.

Bernhard Schwartlander, a representative in the World Health Organization, the rates have increased to about 500 million people having prediabetes: the state of which blood glucose level is higher than average (Burkitt). The state of pre-diabetes is a risk factor for developing type two diabetes and other illnesses, such as heart disease. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder when the body is not able to produce insulin, causing abnormal and high blood glucose levels. This disorder is divided into two categories: type one and type two, the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity. Furthermore, heart disease is the condition which there are narrowed or blocked blood vessels, which obesity affects due to the fat blocking certain areas throughout the body (Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factor).

Both diabetes and heart disease result in about 1 million deaths in China each year (Rate of Diabetes in China Explosive). In response to the increase of obese children, the government has raised a plan called Healthy China 2030, that aims to return the country of China healthy again in the next 12 years. This plan’s purpose is to introduce health education in school curriculums and expand kids knowledge associated with the disadvantages and risks of being overweight. As for the past 30 years, the Chinese have addressed the conflict of obesity by focusing on the factor of physical activity instead of the food system. Moreover, the country of China will gather health experts such as Barry Popkin, one of the experts who created the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 1980, to create a well-balanced food system and overcome companies with packaged or fried foods (Ng).

Last but not least, another alternative for the decreasing of child obesity rate in the future would be enforcing physical activity in schools, institutions, and public events. As more children conduct physical activity, more children will regulate their body weight. In conclusion, the increase of obesity in Chinese children due to fast foods, will raise the number of affected children by pre-diabetes, diabetes, and heart disease. Therefore, the government has come up to various solutions such as introducing health to school curriculum, raise a plan to create a nutritional food system, and enforce physical activity throughout the country. Through the follow up of these alternatives, the country of China can decrease the obesity of children and can once again be a healthy population.

Works Cited Burkitt, Laurie. “As Obesity Rises, Chinese Kids Are Almost as Fat as Americans.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 30 May 2014. Web.

“China Has Largest Number of Obese Children in World, Says Study.” South China Morning Post. 13 June 2017. Web. “Coronary Heart Disease.

” National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Web.

Ng, Brady. “Obesity: The Big, Fat Problem with Chinese Cities.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 09 Jan. 2017.

Web. “Rate of Diabetes in China “explosive”.” WHO Western Pacific Region. WPRO | WHO Western Pacific Region. Web.