China to contain childhood obesity

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have set a goal of reducing the average annual growth rates of overweight and obese children and adolescents by 70 percent from a baseline in the next decade.

The baseline is the average of the yearly increase rates from 2002 to 2017, according to a plan jointly issued by six departments including the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education to prevent and control childhood and adolescent obesity.

The plan specifies the responsibilities of families, schools, medical institutions and government bodies in achieving the goal.

Family members should help children keep a healthy diet, foster a habit of regular exercise and monitor their weight increases, according to the plan.

The authorities require schools to provide food with nutritious considerations and guarantee the time for physical activities, noting that kindergartens should arrange no less than two hours of outdoor activities if the weather allows, and schools should have at least one hour of moderately intense exercise a day and more than three hours of high-intense activities a week.

It also calls on medical institutions to strengthen weight management and early intervention measures against childhood obesity. It also asks relevant government bodies to scale up support for the improvement of sports infrastructure for children and adolescents.

The plan came as the rate of overweight children in China has become a major public health issue that threatens the physical and mental health of children and adolescents.