Western Diet (Partially) to Blame for Obesity in China

RJ

July 08, 2008, 03:17 PM

Be careful- The article used "overweight or obese" when referring to China and you used the obese only number when citing the US. The number for overweight or obese is about 64% in the US I believe compared to the 25% in China. The number is 35% in the US for obese (now that it has been corrected -  women tend to underestimate their weight and men overestimate their height when polled it seems)

overweight = BMI (body mass index) of >25

obese = BMI > 30

the point is still valid that the Chinese are headed int he wrong direction but they have a way to go to catch the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States#cite_note-0

 

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/05.04/14-obese.html

not only do we eat wrong - we drive everywhere.

calkins

July 08, 2008, 03:43 PM

That's a very good point RJ, and does put it into a more accurate perspective. 

I'm just dissapointed that our (the West, and the US in particular) "fast food nation" has negatively affected China's eating habits and fat rates.

I guess it's to be expected in countries that are becoming more westernized, and I'm sure there are many other negative effects as a result.  But at the same time, I'm sure there are some positives to becoming more westernized.

The US has a major eating epidemic on its hands (diabetes, heart failure, eating disorders, etc.)...I just hate to see that becoming an issue in China.

calkins

July 08, 2008, 03:48 PM

RJ said:

not only do we eat wrong - we drive everywhere.

Isn't that the truth!  Not only that, but I am constantly amazed by the number of (overweight) people who ride around the sidewalks of Chicago in those motorized carts.  I know some of these people are legitimately disabled, but I also know many of them are just plain lazy.  It's really sad.

zhanglihua

July 08, 2008, 08:20 PM

It is really a matter of lifestyle. In my students I see an overall weight gain. Of course, they do not get enough exercise, spending their days hunched over books and computers.

I think Chinese people have a tendency to have a slim build, so this development is especially worrisome. Eating is an integral part of Chinese culture, but it seems that the normal habits (have small portions in daily life and indulging in big feasts on special occasions) are replaced by eating-on-the-go and overconsumption of "refined" products.

Then again, one can stay within the healthy range of weight despite eating modern food by adopting an appropriate lifestyle. This is an aspect we have neglected, convenience has been propagated to be supposed to reign our lives. Whenever a craving arises, it can be satiated. Parents dote on their only child, so they give them a lot of sweet, which effects an unhealthy pattern already during childhood.

In China, the public transport system is growing and cars are becoming more common. This contributes to the epidemic of obesity. Like most people that live within an acceptable distance from work, I take the bike, though.

Perhaps it's the beverages rather than the food that is the main source of those superfluous calories! It's not like every Chinese kid is running off to a fast food chain, but 可乐 and the like (regarded as cool...) are really common.

On the other hand, it is horrible to observe how much pressure is put on younger people, especially girls, starting from a very early age, to lose weight. Even 10-year-olds are constantly dieting nowadays. This isn't healthy (in both the physical and psychological sense) anymore.

And, listening to your podcasts, I must say that some of you, brilliant teachers though you might be, seem to have internalized pretty well the mantra (which so conveniently puts people in their places) of keeping ones weight down that has haunted women for ages.

I already notice that, as I am getting older, my metabolism slows down. During my PLA time, I used to be athletic even, but after having a child my body has changed. If a person notices that they simply cannot keep that small size of their youth, they might become disheartened and develop a "whatever"-attitude.

So many social, physiological and psychological factors play a key role in the development of obesity that focusing on the food issue alone seems horribly shortsighted. We need to act quickly because we simply can't afford to have people suffer from their dietary habits and develop diseases like diabetes or osteoporosis (phosphate in soft drinks...) on a grand scale, especially with the current demographic change.

I apologize for my rant. (And my bad English, I just grades a ton of intermediate English class test papers...)

calkins

July 08, 2008, 09:39 PM

zhanglihua, very interesting points.  I think much of what you said applies to the west as well.

I didn't realize that the dieting at a young age had already penetrated the east.  It really is a major and sad issue.

I've also always wondered how much pollution in Asia affects obesity...less exercise in the great outdoors.

By the way, your English (at least your written English) is by far the best I've ever encountered from a native Chinese.  Honestly, your English is better than many native English speakers.  I am very impressed!

zhanglihua

July 08, 2008, 10:00 PM

The dieting craze is not as bad as in the West...YET! But the all-cute-and-pink-girls (ahm, I think you are familiar with the kind of girl I am referring to) are icons of the skinny movement. It's perhaps not the actual starving oneself and so on (not so common) that's problematic but the overall sentiment of having inadequate bodies.