Rising trend of early human death cases in recent years in China
have sounded alert on how to find effective ways to prevent the
widespread sub health problems, which has so far surfaced as a new
killer of human life in China.
According to a latest survey in 16 major Chinese cities with
over-one-million population, surprisingly high proportions of urban
Chinese have been suffering sub health problems. Beijingers,
Shanghainese and Cantonese have respectively witnessed 75.31, 73.
49, and 73.41 percent of their residents in the sub health
condition.
Generally, if you are experiencing reduction in vitality and
adaptability but there is no defined disease diagnosed, one is
quite likely to be in a sub health state, which features
physiological function deterioration between health and
illness.
The problem is rather prevalent among senior and middle-level
managers, clerks and other white-collar staffs with high
educational level, said the website of the Red Cross Society of
China.
"The sub health condition, found in most cases among the groups
of people with high educational level and spearheading the efforts
for national rejuvenation, will exert direct negative effects on
China's long-term development and sustained progress if not handled
timely and properly," the website warned.
An authoritative survey by the Chinese
Academy of Sciences indicates that the average life span of
Chinese intellectuals is 58 years, 10 years lower than the nation's
average. And the early death phenomenon has proved to be
accelerating.
In the 25-59 year group of Chinese intellectuals, the death rate
of the female is as high as 10.4 percent, with the male even
higher, up to 16.5 percent.
A report released by the China Sub Health Academic Seminar said
China's health issue is experiencing a transitional period and many
chronic diseases have taken place of infectious diseases to become
the main lead-up of death.
"The annual economic losses caused by diseases is as high as 1,
400 billion yuan (US$169.5 billion), or more than 14 percent of
China's annual gross domestic product," said the report.
"Bad working habits, poor disease prevention knowledge,
inadequate governmental investment and lack of health education are
the main reasons," said Yang Xiaoduo, an healthcare expert with a
local health association, who said that China should run against
time in exploring measures to solve the sub health problem.
"If the sub health problem is not effectively controlled through
improving health education, both the state and the society are
surely to suffer another heavy burden in a not far future," Yang
was quoted as saying by the China Economic Times.
But according to experts, the Chinese medicine can well play an
active role in fighting sub health.
"Traditional Chinese medicine healthcare's effect in preventing
can well surpass that of healthcare foods and will fetch no
negative effective to the human body if it's carried out
appropriately," said Huang Jianjun, a professor from the Beijing
Chinese Medicine College.
"For example, foot massage is one of the best practices that
could effectively improve blood circulation, ease tiredness and
reduce the burden of the heart," he said.?
(Xinhua News Agency September 18, 2004)