China’s young adults are getting fatter
A recent survey of more than 43,000 adults in China found that over 11 percent of people age 20-39 are obese, up two percent from the last survey in 2010, according to China Daily.
The average weight gain of the group was 1.92 kilograms, higher than figures of the other two age groups (40-59 and 60 plus).
The General Administration of Sport survey of 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities also found that 34.4 percent of Chinese between 20 and 69 are overweight.
Tian Ye, a director of the China Institute of Sports Science, said that the weight gain among China’s young adults is due mainly to physical decline and a lack of sports activities among youth.
The survey showed that people in the age group of 20-39 exercise least frequently, and 51 percent of them cited overloaded schedules as the reason.
Experts believe people in this age group are giving up on exercise and physical activity so they’ll have more time for work and studying.
In October 2012, researched showed that massive workloads along with the rising pressure to climb up China’s economic ladder have caused Chinese people to be the most stressed in the world, contributing to a country-wide increase in sleep problems, suicides, and cases of people actually working themselves to death.
Xing Wenhua, a Beijing Sport University professor, believes that many young people do not understand the importance of a fit and active lifestyle and its contribution to a better well-being.
“More education and promotion should be done to underscore that doing exercise is not only a way to keep fit but also releases pressure and negative emotions, which I believe is more important for young people.”
China’s schools and universities are now being encouraged to focus more on the physical fitness of students.
By Katie Nelson in Shanghaiist.com
