Xinhua Commentary: Obesity still a “sweet burden” to tackle, but no barometer for Chinese economy

Editor’s note: “Dumping overcapacity on global markets,” “the garbage time of history,” “economic malaise making people fatter” … A bunch of newly-coined concepts or unconventional observations regarding the world’s second-largest economy have been spread widely, triggering fear, confusion and pessimism. Are they logically sound, well-founded and truly predictive of the future, or just over-exaggeration based on misperception or even deliberate talking-down out of deep-seated bias? This week Xinhua is releasing a series of three economic commentaries regarding this, and the following is the third and last piece.
BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) — For centuries, China grappled with the challenge of feeding its vast population. As the nation takes a well-earned relief from removing absolute poverty, people’s chit-chats start to revolve around waistlines.
Ironically, some articles in the Western media suggest that China’s rising obesity rate is not due to economic growth, but rather a result of recent economic challenges that supposedly push people toward cheaper, less healthy meals. This bizarre twist of logic can hardly hold water.
Obesity was least concerned by the Chinese people before the reform and opening-up started in the late 1970s. At that time, the public focus was more on filling plates than a bulging waistline, as undernourishment was a genuine concern for many families. As China’s economy grew, so did its people’s appetites. Obesity indeed is emerging as an unintended consequence of improving living standards.
But these days, this “sweet burden” of affluence is being framed as a warning sign of economic woes with an apparent intention of painting a gloomy picture of China, through no study-based facts and figures but wishful inference and imagination.
Consider this fact: From 1960 to 2010, the U.S. obesity rate nearly tripled, and two in five adults in the United States are obese today. Despite this, no one is suggesting that the scale of the U.S. obese population is serious evidence of a collapsing economy.
Likewise, using obesity to predict China’s economic future prompts incredulity. Curbing obesity has been placed high on the country’s policy priority as, affluence aside, a healthy China is another integral part of the country’s vision of modernization.
And it is not just obesity that has the attention of policymakers — diabetes and many other chronic diseases are also on the agenda as the country puts the people at the center in its modernization drive, and its reform and opening-up will deliver on the people’s need for healthier and better lives.
A nationwide campaign to combat obesity is well underway, with weight management clinics being established one after another in hospitals across the country. These initiatives, together with improved healthcare services, reflect China’s proactive approach to preventing chronic diseases.
To encourage physical fitness, China in 2008 designated Aug. 8 as its National Fitness Day, and growing public awareness of health has resulted in a booming fitness industry. By the end of 2023, China had nearly 117,000 fitness establishments catering to almost 70 million paying members.
Cycling has also made a strong comeback in the world’s biggest consumer of automobiles, with 30 out of every 100 trips in urban areas now taken by bicycle.
As automation in the workforce reduces physical labor, it also frees up time for recreational activities. The country’s fitness-savvy youth, in particular, are embracing digital tools like health-tracking apps, wearable devices and mobile platforms to monitor and improve well-being.
As the country’s middle-income group expands, fitness and healthy lifestyles will become a growing trend. It is now common to see elderly people practicing Tai Chi in parks, showing no signs of succumbing to a sedentary lifestyle.
Rather than weighing down the economy or straining the healthcare system, the obesity challenge is more likely to ignite fresh engines of growth. China’s health and wellness industry will generate a staggering 9 trillion yuan (about 1.28 trillion U.S. dollars) in total revenue this year, a testament to the country’s growing appetite for healthier living.
Meanwhile, the fitness sector is gaining strength driven by the online workout trend. Analysts from AskCI Consulting forecast the market will reach 1.12 trillion yuan this year, showing that the pursuit of fitness is also a powerful economic driver.
Looking ahead, China will surely not return to its days of penny-pinching to make ends meet. Neither will the Chinese people indulge in lavish lifestyles without exercising proper weight control. After all, true prosperity lies in a nation’s ability to provide a healthy life and, to that end, China seems to be well on its way. ■