<span style="color: #222222;">More than half of Chinese adults are either overweight or obese, a study conducted by the country's National Health Commission (NHC) revealed recently. Obesity rates among Chinese adults have also more than doubled in less than two decades, from 7.1% in 2002 to 16.4% this year and health authorities are warning of a surge in chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer.</span><br />” <span style="color: #222222;">&nbsp;<br />”As China’s economy grows, rising overweight and obesity rates pose an additional burden to its public health. As per reports, Obesity has also emerged as a major indicator of the severity of coronavirus symptoms in patients with both diseases</span><br />” <span style="color: #222222;">&nbsp;</span><br />” <span style="color: #222222;">Li Bin, deputy director of the NHC, told media that the overweight and obesity rates among residents in both urban and rural areas and across all age groups are steadily rising and it is a severe problem. Li cited sugar-sweetened beverages as prominent cause of childhood obesity. According to the latest data, 19% of children aged 6 to 17 are overweight or obese. Zhao Wenhua, the chief nutritionist at China’s Center for Disease Control, said that officials would encourage manufacturers to produce snacks and beverages that are low in fat and sugar.</span><br />” <span style="color: #222222;">&nbsp;</span><br />” <span style="color: #222222;">According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 4 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. Worldwide, obesity has been on the rise too, having nearly tripled since 1975, according to WHO. In 2016, 39% of adults globally which is more than 1.9 billion people were overweight, including over 650 million who were obese.</span><br />” &nbsp;