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)