Unhealthy lifestyles such as lack of physical exercise and
eating too much have led one third of residents in this capital
city to suffer with coronary heart disease, hypertension and
obesity, according to a recent survey.
Statistics recently released by the Beijing Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that non-infectious chronic
diseases such as diabetes and tumors, which are mainly caused by
unhealthy lifestyles, have become an obtruding danger to the health
of Beijing
residents in recent years.
The study on lifestyles and health conditions of residents in 20
local communities started in 2002, showing that 31.8 percent of the
sampled residents reported the above diseases because of too much
psychological pressure, addictions to salty and greasy cuisine and
lack of sports activities.
Irregular blood fat, hypertension and obesity are the three most
commonly reported diseases, the survey said.
Urban residents outnumbered rural people in reporting the
diseases. At present, 18.17 percent of local primary and middle
school students suffer from obesity, sharply higher than the 10.61
percent in 1991.
Forty-seven percent of the sampled people said they never or
seldom take part in sports activities and 42.9 percent are troubled
by a high-pressure working or living environment. People who are
used to salty and oily food accounted for 41.7 and 27.5 percent
respectively.
Beijing CDC has started to provide guidance to residents in the
20 communities, helping these people to live a healthier life, said
Beijing CDC Director Liu Zejun.
(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2004)