“My child is only 9 years old, but has gained 20 pounds in the past six months.” “My child is overweight and reluctant to exercise.” Recently, the Capital Institute of Pediatrics has set up a medical weight management center, and many parents have taken their children there for weight management advice.
In recent years, the proportion of overweight and obese children and teenagers in China has been on the rise. Overweight and obesity not only affect children’s physical health but also may lead to psychological problems like anxiety and depression.
The Gathering of “Little Chubby Guys”
Song Fuying, deputy director of the Endocrinology Department of the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, was looking through examination reports and patiently explaining to parents, “The child is 1.44 meters tall, weighs 63 kilograms, and has a BMI index over 30, which means the child is in the obese range and it will have a significant impact on his health.” In recent years, the number of “chubby kids” has increased notably. Wang Wei, a shooting coach at Yangquan Sports School in Shanxi Province, told reporters that when the team selects players, among a dozen students, there are usually two or three overweight children.
Lin Lifeng, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that in 2023, the detection rate of overweight and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Guangdong Province was about 20%. In the past three years, although the detection rate of overweight students in Guangdong has decreased, the detection rate of obesity has been rising.
The “Guiding Principles for Weight Management (2024 Edition)” formulated by the National Health Commission points out that while the overall health of Chinese residents has improved, the problem of overweight and obesity is becoming more prominent. Some studies predict that if this trend isn’t curbed, the rate of overweight and obesity among children in China will reach 31.8% by 2030.
Song Fuying said that overweight and obese children often have multiple metabolic disorders. The incidence of hyperuricemia is between 37.6% and 64.5%, the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ranges from 23% to 77%, and the proportions of hyperlipidemia, abnormal glucose metabolism, and hypertension are also relatively high. Sleep apnea syndrome accounts for as much as 59%.
Reasons for the Increase in “Little Chubby Guys”
Experts point out that according to research, 41% to 80% of childhood obesity can continue into adulthood, greatly increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and bringing about mental health problems like anxiety and depression.
One of the main reasons is excessive eating and insufficient exercise. Children face high study pressure and spend a long time sitting. Zhu Xiaohong, a physical education teacher at Jinshan Middle School in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, noticed that many children still don’t get enough exercise at school.
Overweight and obesity in children are often caused by excessive total energy intake and an unbalanced diet structure. Many obese children also suffer from malnutrition. Song Fuying said that eating too fast, consuming too many snacks, and eating too much before going to bed are common bad eating habits among children.
There is also a vicious circle: when a child gets fat, they are less willing to move, and the less they move, the fatter they become. Huang Hongmei, director of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Beijing Children’s Hospital, pointed out.
Family influence also plays a role. Li Min, director of the Pediatrics department at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, observed in the outpatient department that some “little chubby kids” and their parents who accompanied them also showed signs of overweight or obesity. Weight is related to genes, family living habits, and health management awareness. Li Min believes that parents’ awareness is crucial. Some families have a habit of eating high-salt and high-sugar foods. Some parents, eager to help their children lose weight quickly, use improper methods like dieting, which can lead to muscle mass reduction and malnutrition in children.
The Role of Schools and the Need for Popular Science
Schools play a vital role in preventing and controlling overweight and obesity among teenagers and children. Recently, Beijing has issued the “Several Measures for Further Strengthening Physical Education in Primary and Secondary Schools in the New Era”, which proposes eight measures such as creating effective physical education classes and vigorously carrying out student class leagues to promote students’ physical and mental health through campus sports.
In Shanxi Province, the “Regulations on the Development of Sports in Shanxi Province” that took effect on January 1st this year stipulates that schools should include extracurricular sports activities for students on campus in their teaching plans and connect them with physical education class content, ensuring that students participate in at least one hour of physical exercise every school day.
During the interviews, the reporter collected the opinions of many parents and children: everyone wants a healthy body, but they generally lack scientific knowledge and guidance on exercise and weight loss. There is a need for concise, easy-to-understand, and highly practical popular science on healthy diets and family activities. There are also suggestions to increase the interpretation of guidelines on food therapy and other aspects.
Related topics
