Should China say goodbye to Western lifestyle?

Should China say goodbye to Western lifestyle?
Jul 10, 2008 01:24
SUMMERSNOW Points: Join Date: Dec 19, 2007 Status: offline	China grows fat while embracing Western lifestyle What is the image of Chinese people on your mind? Thin, yellow-skin, black eyeballs, black hairs. The other traits remain unchanged except “Thin”. As an arcticle at usatoday.com suggests, “China grows fat while embracing western lifestyle”. The article says: “For centuries, people in China have been fairly lean, but now at least one-fourth of adults there are overweight or obese, a trend starting to take a toll on the country's health care system and economy” “In 2006, 26% of the Chinese population weighed too much — about 275 million people — compared with 8.8% in 1989, says study author Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition and director of the Obesity Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He bases this on national data from his biennial China Health and Nutrition Survey. Other estimates from 2002 suggest anywhere from 22% to 30% of the Chinese weigh too much.” The article also points out: “A key reason for the skyrocketing incidence of overweight in China is they're adopting a more Western lifestyle, Popkin says. The average Chinese adult has shifted drastically from a diet of grains, beans and vegetables to consuming over half of calories from cooking oils, pork, poultry, beef, mutton, fish and dairy foods.” The analysis of the researcher’s survey found: •27.6% of Chinese males were overweight or obese in 2006, up from 6.8% in 1989. That's an increase of 1.2% a year. •The rate at which adult citizens are becoming overweight is climbing faster in China than in all developing countries except Mexico, and greater than developed nations such as the USA, Australia and Great Britain. •The prevalence of overweight is greater — and rising faster — among the poor and less educated than among higher-income adults. •The risk of being obese is 80% higher for adults in households that own a motor scooter or car than in those that don't. About 14% of Chinese adults bought a motor scooter or car for the first time between 1989 and 1997. (Note: the excerpt and stastics from USA Today, attributed to the author Nanci Hellmich) In the end, the researcher says “China needs to adopt national policies to change this trend or face a dramatic increase in early deaths, disability, absenteeism and medical care costs from weight-related illnesses”. I agree with the researcher that China needs to adopt national policies to curb the obesity. How? Should all Chinese boycott Western lifestyle? As I understand, a national boycott launched by the State can be the most effective way to curb the trend. Is it workable in the real world? The enormous economic profit makes both businesses and the government unwilling to take the action. Even a great number of Chinese consumers are “western food addicts”. Are you for or against boycotting Western lifestyle? Do you have the courage and perseverance to say goodbye to western fast food (Mcdonald, KFCs)?

Jul 10, 2008 01:24

SUMMERSNOW
Points:
Join Date: Dec 19, 2007
Status: offline

China grows fat while embracing Western lifestyle

What is the image of Chinese people on your mind? Thin, yellow-skin, black eyeballs, black hairs. The other traits remain unchanged except “Thin”. As an arcticle at usatoday.com suggests, “China grows fat while embracing western lifestyle”.

The article says: “For centuries, people in China have been fairly lean, but now at least one-fourth of adults there are overweight or obese, a trend starting to take a toll on the country's health care system and economy”

“In 2006, 26% of the Chinese population weighed too much — about 275 million people — compared with 8.8% in 1989, says study author Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition and director of the Obesity Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He bases this on national data from his biennial China Health and Nutrition Survey. Other estimates from 2002 suggest anywhere from 22% to 30% of the Chinese weigh too much.”

The article also points out:
“A key reason for the skyrocketing incidence of overweight in China is they're adopting a more Western lifestyle, Popkin says. The average Chinese adult has shifted drastically from a diet of grains, beans and vegetables to consuming over half of calories from cooking oils, pork, poultry, beef, mutton, fish and dairy foods.”

The analysis of the researcher’s survey found:

•27.6% of Chinese males were overweight or obese in 2006, up from 6.8% in 1989. That's an increase of 1.2% a year.

•The rate at which adult citizens are becoming overweight is climbing faster in China than in all developing countries except Mexico, and greater than developed nations such as the USA, Australia and Great Britain.

•The prevalence of overweight is greater — and rising faster — among the poor and less educated than among higher-income adults.

•The risk of being obese is 80% higher for adults in households that own a motor scooter or car than in those that don't. About 14% of Chinese adults bought a motor scooter or car for the first time between 1989 and 1997.

(Note: the excerpt and stastics from USA Today, attributed to the author Nanci Hellmich)

In the end, the researcher says “China needs to adopt national policies to change this trend or face a dramatic increase in early deaths, disability, absenteeism and medical care costs from weight-related illnesses”.

I agree with the researcher that China needs to adopt national policies to curb the obesity. How? Should all Chinese boycott Western lifestyle? As I understand, a national boycott launched by the State can be the most effective way to curb the trend. Is it workable in the real world? The enormous economic profit makes both businesses and the government unwilling to take the action. Even a great number of Chinese consumers are “western food addicts”. Are you for or against boycotting Western lifestyle? Do you have the courage and perseverance to say goodbye to western fast food (Mcdonald, KFCs)?

Jul 10, 2008 04:34	#1
GUEST141	I don't know why Chinese like the junk food? So many Chinese customers patron McDonald's and KFC chains.

Jul 10, 2008 09:57

JABAROOTOO
Points:
Join Date: Jul 4, 2005
Status: Offline

It's not the Western Lifestyle so much that needs avoiding.

It is understanding the health risks of many fast foods, which in most cases are simply JUNK

SUGAR and highly refined carbohydrates that convert quickly to sugars.

The other issue for China is the rather sedentary lifestyle that comes with a lack of opportunities to get out into the wide outdoors to get some exercise.

This is one aspect of a Western lifestyle which is a healthy role model.

Another issue is the pace of China's modernisation. The country has gone in just a few short years from having few electric and electronic devices to now having the most per capita and the most up to the minute available.

If you ask most of China's youth what hobbies they enjoy you will find the top ranks are usually filed with computer games, surfing the net and for girls it is shopping and all this happens in between chatting on mobiles and listening to MP3 or is it MP4's now.

A whole generation of Chinese missed out on the joys of cassette tapes, videos, CD walkmans, PC's and went straight into DVD and MP3 or I pods and notebook laptops

Exercise is a bit of a 'dirty' word or at least a very alien concept for a lot of kids and the one child policy encourages over-indulgence by adults and many spoilt children being allowed to EAT ON DEMAND or worse still be stuffed with food by grandparents who sadly were half starved themselves at some time during their lives and do not want to see their precious ones suffer the same fate.

Jul 10, 2008 22:37	#3
LEONARDO Points: Join Date: May 21, 2007 Status: Offline	Agree with Jaba on most parts, but want to add one point. Chinese people's waistline has increased in the past decades. It has something to do with the "grease of the McDonald's and KFCs". See the fat children in the above picture1: McDonalds and KFCs are extremely popular among these young kids and teenagers. Also, the sedentary lifestyle should also be blamed.

Jul 11, 2008 00:18	#4
JABAROOTOO Points: Join Date: Jul 4, 2005 Status: Offline	Hey Leonardo, It's really not so much the 'grease' as the sugar that it in all this food. A lot of Chinese food is too greasy for my taste. Some food comes swimming in oil and the fat of pig is sometimes the only meat in a dish. I forgot to mention that a good movie about this subject is SUPERSIZE ME which is all about what is likely to happen to a person on a Macdonalds style diet.

Jul 13, 2008 22:51	#5
LEONARDO Points: Join Date: May 21, 2007 Status: Offline	Hey Jaba, I have always thought that it was the 'grease of McDonald's and KFCs" that makes Chinese grow fat. I didn't notice the large quantity of sugar contained in the "junk food". Thanks for your correction. Hehe, Jaba, I guess you like the bland flood instead of spicy and greasy food. How can you bear the spicy food in Chongqing? The foods in Sichuan and Chongqing are too hot for me. ^_^

Jul 14, 2008 21:51	#6
GUESTJUANDY	Don't Blame KFC or MCD, I eat those stuff sometimes, but I don't grow that fat... :) I think what's important is to understand the healthy diet concepts and put them as your daily habits.... It's okay to eat junk food but It's terrible when you're addicted to them... I love both western and chinese foods.... don't blame them please :)

Jul 16, 2008 14:42

WESTNORWOODGAS
Points:
Join Date: Jun 22, 2007
Status: Offline

I have to say I got fat before KFC& Mcdonalds even came to the UK, I think it in my case down to drinking too much of the falling down juice.
I did get plenty of exercise through my football training but once I was forced to give up playing through injury, I was in trouble.
I'm now at my lowest weight for almost 20 years but I still need to lose 20lbs or so.
Yes children are getting fatter these day's because they spend more time playing computer games rather than running around playing sport.
My daughter is lucky she is into athletics and her goal is to represent Britain in the 2012 olympics here in London, the olympic site is almost on her doorstep.
I will be one proud father if achieves her goal.
Alan

Post a Reply to: Should China say goodbye to Western lifestyle?