Obesity in China: what we know and what we can do

Abstract

Overweight and obesity in children have emerged as a major public health challenge in China. National statistics show that the prevalence of overweight and obesity reached up to 10% in children younger than 6 years and 20% in those aged 6–17 years,¹ which is projected to continue rising in the next few years.² In response to this public health imperative, 16 Chinese national agencies, including the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, have collaboratively developed the Implementation Plan for the Weight Management Years Campaign to promote population-level weight control measures for 3 years commencing in 2024.³ More recently, the National Health Commission also officially issued the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity, for the first time, to advance standardised clinical management of obesity.⁴ In alignment with these initiatives, a consortium of Chinese experts comprehensively assessed the epidemiology and determinants of childhood obesity, and critically evaluated potential interventions and policies for mitigating the challenge of obesity in this issue of The Lancet Public Health.5, 6, 7 The timely review Series complements governmental strategic directives, and offers pragmatic insights and evidence-based recommendations to inform policy makers, health-care professionals, and multisectoral stakeholders in their concerted efforts for the prevention and control of childhood obesity in China. Although the work makes considerable contributions, several additional perspectives on childhood obesity warrant consideration.