The Chinese people are getting heavier and less healthy.
As healthcare costs rise, prevention becomes the watchword. And
a balanced diet is believed to be the best way to stay healthy.
China is going to update its food guidelines this year in the
hope of combining healthy eating with exercise.
A decade ago, the China Nutrition Society developed a "food
pagoda", a tool to help people make healthy food choices.
The food pagoda helps people choose from a variety of foods so
they get the required amount of daily nutrients. The suggested
servings can help them control the amount of calories, fat,
saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar or sodium in their diet.
At the base of the "food pagoda", there is a group that contains
breads, grains and cereals. These foods provide complex
carbohydrates, which are an important source of energy, especially
for a low-fat meal plan. The guidelines recommend a daily intake of
300 to 500 grams of these foods.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients, low in fat and
sodium, and high in fiber. The "food pagoda" suggests 400 to 500
grams of vegetables and 100 to 200 grams of fruit every day.
Meat, poultry and fish supply protein, iron and zinc. The "food
pagoda" suggests 50 to 100 grams of cooked meat, fish or
poultry.
Products made with milk provide protein, vitamins and minerals,
especially calcium. The "food pagoda" suggests an intake of 100
grams every day.
The fats at the top of the "food pagoda" should comprise the
smallest percentage of our daily diet. Foods in this category
provide calories but they offer very little in the way of
nutrition.
In an interview with the Beijing Times, Ge Keyou,
chairman of the China Nutrition Society, said that the revision of
the "food pagoda", is necessary since the diet of Chinese urbanites
is experiencing great changes.
City dwellers eat too much meat, poultry and oil, while turning
a cold shoulder to cereals. Meanwhile, the intake of such nutrients
as calcium, iron and vitamin A is far from enough for both urban
and rural residents.
The new guidelines are expected to adjust recommendations for
foods. A balanced diet will continue to be the rule for the updated
and revised version.
Intake of too much nutritious food is the cause of
lifestyle-related diseases. The rate of chronic diseases has
gradually increased in Chinese cities due to changes in diet and
the resultant excessive intake of nutrients.
Obesity, liver problems, hypertension, cerebrovascular
irregularities, diabetes and other diet-related diseases are
becoming increasingly common.
We used to be the country with the slimmest population in the
world. Now our waistline is growing as fast as that of developed
countries.
Studies have found that 27 percent of urban children aged 10 to
12 are overweight. In Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing, about 15 per
cent of the adult population is classified as either overweight or
obese. This result is consistent with the accelerated consumption
of meat, edible oil and other sources of fat, as well as the
reduction of exercise.
A lot of this is because we are becoming a nation of couch
potatoes. We are spending more time in front of computer screens
and TV sets than playing sports. We are sitting in cars instead of
walking or cycling to our destinations.
The government is worried about the trend toward a fatter China
because of all the health problems overweight people can have.
The government is looking at how to improve the way it teaches
the people about the need to both exercise and eat properly in
order to stay healthy.
As a result, the "food pagoda" will be redesigned to show how
important physical activity is when it comes to safeguarding our
health.
It is necessary to translate the science of healthy eating into
a practical pattern of food choices that meets nutritional needs,
promotes health and minimizes the risk of nutrition-related chronic
diseases.
Hence, the new "food pagoda" will be all about healthy lifestyle
choices, rather than just focusing on what we eat.
It is hoped that these new guidelines, combining exercise and
healthy eating, will encourage more Chinese people to adopt
healthier lifestyles.
Exercise benefits every part of our bodies, including the mind.
Experts now know that it wards off a host of possible health
problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and even depression.
The right balance of food and activity helps us feel great and
remain at a healthy weight.
Can such guidelines work in a nation which has opened its door
to Western fast food giants such as Macdonald's, KFC and
Subway?
Such fast food has captivated the taste buds of China's young
people.
So the government has a long way to go to get its food
guidelines widely accepted and steer people away from unhealthy
lifestyles.
(China Daily February 3, 2007)