In the past decade, rapid social and economic development has
resulted in changes in the dietary patterns, lifestyles and disease
patterns of the Chinese population. To better understand those
changes, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Science
and Technology and the National Bureau of
Statistics jointly conducted a comprehensive nationwide survey
on nutrition and health. An analysis of the survey results was
released on Tuesday.
China is still facing the dual challenges of nutritional
deficiency and imbalance even though great progress has been made
in recent years. From 1992 to 2002, diet and nutrition among both
the urban and rural populations improved significantly. However,
several serious problems remain and some new ones have arisen.
The survey was conducted throughout the mainland from August to
December 2002, and included 272,023 people. A total of 71,971
households, 24,034 urban and 47,937 rural, were chosen as samples
from 132 counties.
Although national surveys on nutrition were conducted in 1959,
1982 and 1992, this was China's first comprehensive survey on
nutrition and health, said Kong Lingzhi, director of the Ministry
of Health's Non-communicable Diseases Division.
The survey indicated that total calorie and protein intake of
urban and rural populations is basically satisfactory, with
consumption of meat, poultry, eggs and other animal products
increasing significantly. For rural residents, the proportion of
high-quality protein of total protein intake rose from 17 to 31
percent.
Juvenile growth improved steadily during the decade from 1992 to
2002. The average weight of newborns reached 3,309 grams, and low
birth weight babies (below 2,500 grams) accounted for only 3.6 per
cent of total live births, which brings China in line with
developed countries.
Juveniles between the ages of three and 18 in urban and rural
areas average 3.3 cm taller than their counterparts a decade ago.
However, rural males are on average 4.9 cm shorter and females 4.2
cm shorter.
Childhood malnutrition has dropped sharply, with overall growth
retardation in children under the age of five improving some 55
percent from the 1992 rate.
Nevertheless, poor nutrition and health problems remain
serious.
By 2002, urban residents' energy contribution from fat? had
reached 35 percent, exceeding the upper limit of 30 percent
recommended by the World Health Organization. Only 47 percent of
city dwellers' calories come from cereals, substantially below the
recommended range of 55 to 65 percent.
Prevalence of growth retardation and low body weight among rural
children under the age of five as a whole remained more prevalent
than for their city cousins, standing at 17.3 and 9.3 percent
respectively.
In poverty-stricken rural areas, the figures worsen
dramatically, with 29.3 percent of kids showing growth retardation
and 14.4 percent low body weights.
Meanwhile, noninfectious diseases such as hypertension are on
the rise.
Some 18.8 percent of people over the age of 18 -- approximately
160 million -- suffer from hypertension, a rise of 31 percent from
1992. The increase has been particularly strong in rural areas,
virtually eliminating any difference between city and countryside
in this regard.
Only 24.7 percent of the patients get necessary medical
treatment.
Diabetes appears in 2.6 percent of Chinese over the age of 18,
largely in urban residents.
Some 22.8 percent of Chinese adults are overweight and 7.1
percent morbidly obese. In cities, those figures rise to 30 and
12.3 percent, respectively. Childhood obesity has reached 8.1
percent.
The number of overweight adults jumped 39 percent and of obese
adults as much as 97 percent from the survey a decade earlier.
High caloric intake, high fat and salt content in the diet,
alcohol consumption and low physical activity are closely related
to the occurrence of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and rising
blood cholesterol levels.
To improve the situation, the government intends to implement
laws and regulations concerning nutrition, such as requiring
certification of nutritionists and nutritional content of
foods.
A national guideline should also be made available to provide
authoritative information so the public can choose food and do
physical exercise scientifically and properly, said Kong.
China will also enhance guidance in agriculture and food
production, distribution and marketing to help improve people's
nutrition and health.
Governments at all levels are also called to strengthen public
education, and advocate a balanced diet and a healthy
lifestyle.
(China Daily October 12, 2004)