China: Obesity 'explosion' in rural youth, study warns

China has suffered an incease in obesity the last two years: researchers found 17% boys and 9% girls of rural school between the 7 and 18 years that are obese. It's up from 1% for each in 1985. The study involved nearly 28,000 students in Shandong province and has been published in the European Journal of Preventive Crdiology.

Joep Perk, from the European Society of Cardiology told to AFP news agency: "It is the worst explosion of childhood and adolescent obesity that I have ever seen".

This change is owing to the China's fast socieconomic and nutritional transition, what had increased energy consume and a decrease in physical activity. Chinese people habituate to have a diet rich in fat, energy density and low dietary fibre.

We can also notice a higher prevalence of oberweight in boys: "The traditional, societal preference for sons, particularly in rural areas, may mean that boys are likely to enjoy more of the family's resources", according to the study.

The study used a weight-to-height squared of 24-27,9 for overweight and 28 and above for obese: a little bit lower than the normal ratio of 25-29,9 and 30 respectively.

The recommendation of the reseacrhers are: "Comprehensive strategies of intervention should include periodic monitoring, education on the pattern of nutrition, physical exercises and healthy dietary behaviour"

NEW WORDS:
*pattern
*behaviour
*surveys(in the original news)

PERSONAL COMMENT:
Personally, I consider this news very interesting because of the final part: the preference from the Chinese people for their sons. Is this so a current problem that it's reflected on nutritional character studies??? It reminds me to Chinese's girl genocides and massive abortions. We're on XXI century and a big part of Chinese's society isn't even conscious of womens rights.

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