According to the National Physical Fitness Monitoring Bulletin: the body shape index of our country's citizens has decreased, with a sharp increase in middle-aged people becoming overweight. The obesity rate among adult males is relatively high, with the most significant growth occurring in the 40-44 age group.
The Chinese have traditionally associated being overweight with good fortune; having a big, chubby baby boy is considered a tremendous joy. On the streets, one can easily spot many chubby children and adults who are significantly overweight.
Obesity is a chronic metabolic disease caused by excessive energy intake exceeding energy expenditure, leading to excessive accumulation of fat that reaches harmful levels. With increasing health awareness, more and more people recognize that obesity has become a serious and undeniable threat to both physical and mental health.
Currently, nearly 300 million people in our country are either overweight or obese, with 22.8% and 7.1% of adults aged 18 and above being overweight or obese, respectively.
Weight gain is the shadow of chronic diseases
Obesity is not only a disease but also a trigger for many chronic diseases. Therefore, some people compare obesity to the shadow of chronic diseases. Obesity has the following complications:
Obesity-related cardiopulmonary insufficiency syndrome: In Beijing, several obese children have died from minor colds, which sounds unbelievable but is true. Due to their extreme obesity, their hearts and lungs could not handle even the small burden of a cold, as obesity can damage cardiopulmonary function.
Sleep apnea syndrome: This syndrome is related to the shortness of breath caused by obesity, develops stealthily, and may sometimes be life-threatening. Its characteristics include intermittent breathing cessation during sleep, often first noticed by others. Snoring, poor sleep quality, or hypoxemia, inability to restore energy upon waking, etc., may indicate the possibility of this syndrome. In severe cases, due to an increased likelihood of arrhythmias caused by low oxygen levels, it can often lead to patient death.