Fat China

西大

China’s obesity problem is getting very big, very fast. The cost both monetary and human of obesity, and the necessary changes that China will have to make to deal with the problem, are going to severely strain its political infrastructure and budgets.

The book, Fat china, how expanding Waistlines are changing A Nation, was written because both myself and co-author Paul French, through our work researching China’s economic development, were becoming increasingly aware of the wider detrimental social effects of China’s 30 years of breakneck economic and social change. We were also interested in how such issues might affect the Chinese economy and consumer trends.

In 1992, the first research number on the scale revealed a rapid rise of obesity in China. We used the figures to measure the costs related to the issues of obesity on healthcare budges, based on the US, and applied them to China.

Even taking into consideration China’s capping of drug prices, the implications were staggering. It is glaringly apparent that China cannot afford the long-term costs of its population getting heavier.



Heart of the matter

The problem of obesity in China has developed at a rapid pace because massive economic and social change has been compressed into such a short period of time. This change has created huge social upheaval and change, along with social stresses, Obesity is just one such symptom.

All this added stress has formed hand-in-hand, with the widespread introduction of fast foods, sugary soft drinks, fat-laden ready meals, sugary sauce and other consumable temptations, the stressed-out masses have their comfort foot, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and at relatively low prices, meanwhile, lifestyles have become more sedentary.



It clearly that china is conserned not just about the obesity but also the wider social problems