Many Chinese people have been over taxing their health in the past two decades and the consequences are becoming apparent, a health expert warned at a health care forum over the weekend.

Statistics from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization show that 1.5 million Chinese die of cancer and 3 million lose their lives because of cardiovascular diseases every year.

The incidence rate of both diseases has doubled in the past 20 years.

Against the backdrop of much higher living standards, the higher incidence rate of both major killers should be attributed to the change in lifestyles of Chinese people over the past two decades.

Excessive junk food and the lack of exercise are considered the major cause for the higher incidence rate of such diseases. In addition, more pressure from both work and life has resulted in psychological stress, which is also taking its toll on the health of Chinese people.

The accelerated pace of urbanization will also pose a great challenge in the coming decades. It is estimated that at least 289 million rural residents will be absorbed by the cities.

That means much heavier pressure on housing, traffic and other urban facilities, which will make crowded cities more vulnerable to the spread of epidemics. The farmer-turned urbanites, if not well prepared for the change in lifestyle, are very likely to have health problems.

So, along with the construction of urban facilities, education of urbanites on how to lead a healthy life is as important as the investment in improving their living conditions. The higher incidence rate of cancer, cardiovascular diseases or diabetes will considerably increase investment in healthcare and compromise the public's quality of life.

For individuals, more efforts in prevention such as exercise and a healthy diet will not only save them medical expenses but also guarantee them a better quality of life in later years.

The current healthcare system reform in the pipeline needs to pay close attention to disease prevention. Community hospitals that will shoulder most of the healthcare work of urban residents will need to do a better job.

(China Daily November 27, 2007)