The Concept of CMR

Prevalence of obesity

In recent years, the Chinese population has become more sedentary, more urbanized, and increasingly reliant on cars and high-calorie, energy-dense food. These cultural and behavioural changes have had a considerable impact on Chinese obesity rates. A recent meta-analysis by Wang et al. (19) reported that, between 1992 and 2002, obesity and overweight increased in both genders, in all age groups, and in all geographic areas. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of obesity and overweight, the percentage of obese and overweight Chinese adults—which was 14.6% in 1992—has now increased to 21.8%. Although rates of obesity and overweight are somewhat lower than in the United States, the striking increase in obesity and overweight in China combined with the fact that this population is more prone to diabetes than Caucasians could mean that a dramatic spike in Chinese diabetes rates is just around the corner. Chinese urban residents are more likely to be overweight and obese. In 2002, according to Chinese standards of overweight (24 ≤ BMI < 28 kg/m²) and obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m²), 35.1% of Beijing adults were overweight and 20.6% were obese. In addition to showing that overweight and obesity had increased 50% in the last decade, the study also highlighted significant changes to mortality and morbidity patterns in China. Though infectious diseases dropped sharply, there was an increase in chronic diseases related to excess body weight, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes (19).