Every five primary and middle school students have a "little fat guy"
The quality of life has improved, the level of nutrition has improved, but there are more and more "little fat piers" around. During the growth of children and adolescents, nutrition and health is an eternal topic. May 20 is the Chinese Student Nutrition Day. What is the nutritional status of students in China? What harm will overweight and obesity bring? How to eat to be healthier?
Grow taller and fatter
The Scientific Research Report on Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021) (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") shows that the nutritional status and physique of Chinese residents have significantly improved, the quality of diet has improved, the food structure has changed, and the nutritional status of residents has been fundamentally improved. The growth retardation rate and low weight rate of children under 5 years old have decreased to 4.8% and 1.9% respectively, The preset target of 2020 plan has been achieved. The anemia rate and vitamin A deficiency rate of children and adolescents were significantly reduced, and the nutritional status was significantly improved.
With the improvement of nutrition level, the height of children and adolescents in China has increased significantly. In the past 30 years, the height of boys and girls aged 6-17 has increased in all age groups, with an average height increase of 3cm every 10 years.
However, there are more "little fat piers" around. The data shows that the overweight and obesity rate of children and adolescents under 6 and 6-17 years old in China has reached 10.4% and 19.0% respectively, which is equivalent to nearly one "little fat pier" for every five primary and secondary school students. The problem of overweight and obesity of children and adolescents needs urgent attention.
30% consumption rate of sugary milk drinks is one of the "culprits" of obesity
Statistics show that the sales volume of sugary drinks is increasing year by year, and the consumption rate of sugary milk drinks and drinks for children and adolescents is more than 30% and 25% respectively.
The report shows that although the level of added sugar intake of Chinese residents is not high, as the main source of added sugar, the proportion of people consuming sugared drinks and their consumption are rising rapidly. The consumption rate of sugary drinks among children and adolescents is higher than that of adults, which should be paid enough attention.
Experts suggest that high sugar intake has become a major risk factor for obesity and diabetes in adolescents. Controlling the intake of sugar in adolescents is the key to promoting the healthy growth of adolescents. According to statistics, the prevalence of hypertension in obese children and adolescents is 4.0 times of normal weight.
Reduce oil and salt, balance diet
Chronic diseases are closely related to long-term dietary imbalance and excessive intake of oil and salt. The data shows that high salt intake is still prevalent in China. The average daily intake of salt for domestic cooking is 9.3 grams per person, with an average decline of 2 grams per decade, but it is still higher than the recommended value of<5 grams.
In addition, high fat intake is also an important factor causing overweight and obesity. According to the survey of the Chinese Nutrition Society, the top ten dishes that are often purchased for eating out and ordering take out meals are mostly fried food and animal dishes. The people who mainly sell out meals and eat out for a long time have excessive consumption of oil and salt and unreasonable dietary structure.
Ding Gangqiang, vice president of the Chinese Nutrition Society and director of the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, suggested that we should have a reasonable diet, reduce the intake of animal meat, smoked meat, salt, oil, added sugar, and alcohol, and increase the intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, eggs, seafood, milk, beans, and nuts for health.
Increase physical activity and achieve "balanced eating and movement"
Exercise plays an important role in human energy balance. To maintain a healthy weight, we should not only have a reasonable diet, but also strengthen exercise and maintain a "balanced eating and movement".
The report shows that insufficient physical activity can lead to excessive weight gain. More physical activity is not only conducive to maintaining a healthy weight, but also can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, improve brain health and improve attention.
"Exercise is not a dietary suggestion, but it plays an important role in energy balance and weight maintenance," Ding said.
Ding Gangqiang introduced that most countries recommend 30 minutes of exercise every day or 150 minutes of exercise every week. Some countries (such as South Africa) also believe that each exercise should not be less than 10 minutes.
It is reported that the 14th Five Year Plan and the 2035 Long term Goal Outline specifically propose to implement the nutrition improvement plan for preschool children, effectively control children's obesity and myopia, ensure school physical education and extracurricular exercise time, and focus on youth to carry out national physique monitoring and intervention.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 20, by wire (Xu Penghang)
