[Big read] Why Beijing wants its citizens to lose weight

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Big Read

8 Jul 2026

Society

ByMeng Dandan
Journalist, Lianhe Zaobao Beijing Bureau

(Edited and refined by Grace Chong, with the assistance of AI translation.)

“I used to be a goddess. Then I gained 20 kilos.”

At a weight-loss gym in Beijing’s Tongzhou district, 32-year-old property agent Huang Yajuan laughed as she caught her breath after a spin class

“It’s like someone pumped me full of air,” she said. “All that happened in just three years.”

The weight piled on soon after the Covid-19 pandemic began. Standing 1.67 metres tall, Huang went from weighing under 60kg to 80kg, pushing her body mass index (BMI) to 28.7 — classified as obese under China’s standards, which are stricter than international guidelines. 

In China, a BMI of 24 or above is considered overweight, while 28 or above is classified as obese. Under global guidelines, however, the figures are 25 and 30 respectively

Huang told Lianhe Zaobao (LHZB) that during the pandemic, she was unable to go out to exercise. Instead, she spent much of her time at home experimenting with dishes such as fried pancakes, fried glutinous rice cakes and braised pork. After giving birth, she also ate calorie-rich, nutrient-dense meals at every sitting. Her weight crept up steadily

Soon, she could no longer fit into many of her favourite clothes, and everyday tasks became a struggle

“I couldn’t even carry my child,” she said. “Everything tired me out. I was always out of breath.”

More worrying were the health consequences. A routine medical check-up revealed moderate fatty liver disease and elevated blood sugar levels. Coupled with a family history of diabetes, the results finally convinced Huang that it was time to lose weight

For Huang, the extra weight was a personal struggle. But with more than half of China’s adult population — over 400 million people — now overweight or obese, and ever more young people joining their ranks, what was once an individual problem has become a national challenge

Chinese authorities have repeatedly warned that obesity is exacting an increasingly heavy health and economic toll. Speaking at the 11th China Obesity Science Conference on 17 June, Wang Jianwei, director general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said obesity had evolved from a personal health issue into a major public health challenge

The warning echoed earlier messages from the National Health Commission (NHC). In its 2024 guidelines on obesity, the commission described obesity as a major public health issue and the country’s sixth leading risk factor for death and disability. During this year’s Two Sessions, NHC head Lei Haichao again called on the public to take part in nationwide weight management efforts

China’s challenge is particularly acute. Even as the country’s population has declined over the past four years, overweight and obesity rates have continued to climb, with younger people increasingly affected. The trend threatens to shrink the healthy workforce at a time when China is already grappling with a rapidly ageing population and slowing economic growth

According to data from the NHC, the Chinese Nutrition Society’s China Blue Paper on Obesity Prevention and Control and other public9.9% in 2002 to 50.7% in 2020, before reaching 57% in 2023. If the trend continues unchecked, research projects that by 2030, 70.5% of Chinese adults and 31.8% of children will be overweight or obese

A report published in the international medical journal The Lancet estimated that by 2021, China had 402 million overweight or obese adults aged 25 and above

Wang Youfa, president of the Obesity Prevention and Control Section of the Chinese Nutrition Society and a professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University’s School of Public Health, told LHZB that data dating back to 1992, together with his team’s analysis of national health surveillance data, show the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese adults has risen by about one percentage point every year. Slowing that rate of increase, he said, has proved extremely difficult

The consequences extend beyond public health. Tan Gangqiang, head of Xiehe Psychological Consultation Office in Chongqing, warned that rising obesity rates could overwhelm not only China’s healthcare system but also the finances of individuals and families. With healthcare spending already climbing as the population ages and people live longer, failing to tackle obesity would place an even heavier financial burden on both households and the state

The World Obesity Federation’s World Obesity Atlas 2023 projects that China’s adult obesity rate will reach 18% by 2035, with most of the increase coming from today’s children and adolescents. Although this estimate is well below projections by Chinese government agencies and research institutions, the report warns that obesity will still impose a substantial health and economic burden on the country

It estimates that while obesity-related healthcare spending in the US in 2020 was roughly ten times higher than in China — with the total economic impact reaching US$726.1 billion, or 3.5% of GDP — China’s economic losses from overweight and obesity will surpass those of the US by 2035

With obesity becoming an increasingly pressing public health issue, the Chinese government has launched a nationwide weight management campaign aimed at slowing the growth of the overweight and obese population by 2030

In 2024, the NHC joined 15 other government departments to roll out a three-year national weight management action plan targeting abnormal weight levels among sections of the population

Local governments have also stepped up their efforts. In Guangdong, one of China’s leanest provinces, the provincial health commission is encouraging households to keep weighing scales, waist measurement tapes and pedometers at home and monitor their weight daily. By the end of 2027, the province aims to raise residents’ knowledge of weight management by 10 percentage points and increase the proportion of people who exercise regularly to 41%

Shanghai has taken a different approach, distributing weight management handbooks to all 25 million residents to promote healthier lifestyles. The guides encourage home cooks to adopt healthier cooking methods and prepare balanced meals for their families

Universities have also joined the campaign. Peking University, Zhejiang University and other institutions have introduced weight-loss classes for students with obesity

Medical experts, television presenters and other public figures have also taken to social media platforms such as RedNote and Douyin, rallying people with slogans such as, “The country is calling on you to lose weight” and “The country doesn’t want you to be overweight.”

Economist Li Daokui also cited research on his RedNote account predicting that if obesity continues to spread in China, healthcare costs linked to overweight and obesity could reach nearly 420 billion RMB (US$62 billion) by 2030 — about 22% of China’s total healthcare expenditure. Reducing obesity, he argued, would free up relogy, consumption and education

As more Chinese try to lose weight, AI has become the latest tool of choice. Alongside conventional methods such as exercise, acupuncture, slimming teas, medication and weight-loss injections, AI-powered diet coaching has emerged as a popular — and free — alternative

Li Yan, a 30-year-old freelancer, credits DeepSeek with helping her lose 10 kilograms in three months by keeping her diet on track. She describes the AI chatbot as having a personal doctor and nutritionist rolled into one. Based on the meals she logs, her daily routine and her physical condition, it generates customised meal plans, while also reminding her to manage her stress and stick to a regular sleep schedule

“But the most important thing,” she said, “is sticking to a light diet.”

The rise of AI-assisted weight loss has also created new business opportunities. Chen Hao, a post-95 generation fitness coach from Liaoning, realised that while applications such as DeepSeek can produce personalised weight-loss plans, many users still struggle to follow them. He recently started a health services company that helps clients stay accountable

“Some people just don’t have the self-discipline,” he said. “They can’t stop eating or motivate themselves to exercise, so they need someone to keep them on track.”

As China’s nationwide weight management campaign gathers momentum, public awareness of the importance of maintaining a healthy weight is growing. Even so, the academics interviewed remain sceptical that the country’s strategic goal of allee years

Tan believes China’s economic slowdown could make the obesity problem even harder to tackle. “People’s wallets may be getting thinner, but their waistlines could be getting wider,” he said

As incomes fall, he argued, people are more likely to opt for cheap, highly processed, calorie-dense foods while cutting back on fitness spending. From a psychological perspective, he added, people experiencing stress or depression are more likely to overeat to fill an emotional void or relieve anxiety

Wang said China still faces significant hurdles if it hopes to slow the rise in overweight and obesity by 2030. Public awareness of obesity’s health risks remains inadequate, he said, including among healthcare professionals. Also, the country lacks sufficient expertise and re

Liao Yue, a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at Renmin University of China’s School of Social Research, said in an interview that another major challenge is creating a supportive environment for healthier living. Coordinating efforts across sectors such as the food industry, urban planning and education is difficult. An underdeveloped obesity monitoring and evaluation system, together with the lack of accurate, up-to-date data on obesity trends, also pose significant obstacles to achieving the country’s 2030 weight management goals.

Why are more and more people in China becoming overweight?

After more than four decades of sustained economic growth, people in China enjoy higher disposable incomes, better health and greater access to food than at any point in the country’s history

But rising prosperity has also brought unintended consequences. Rates of overweight and obesity continue to climb, and the trend is accelerating. Scholars interviewed said misconceptions about healthy eating, combined with environments that make weight management difficult, are driving China’s growing obesity problem

Liu Guangwei, director of the Research Center for Shiology at Renmin University of China, believes the main reason more Chinese people are becoming overweight is poor understanding of healthy eating, which has fuelled a culture of “eating in excess” (过食 guoshi)

Liu said China has undergone a rapid shift from food shortages and rationing to abundance. While most people can now afford a far wider variety of foods than previous generations, public understanding of healthy eating has not kept pace

He defines “eating in excess” as more than simply overeating. It also includes eating too frequently, consuming diets high in oil, sugar and processed foods, and taking in more calories than the body needs. Over time, these habits contribute to obesity, strain the body and raise the risk of metabolic disorders, organ damage and chronic disease

“The dining table is where weight loss should begin,” Liu said

Wang believes China’s rapid economic and social development over the past four decades has fundamentally reshaped people’s lifestyles

“Unhealthy diets and physical inactivity have become increasingly common,” he said

He identified the shift from a traditional diet centred on vegetables and other plant-based foods to a more Western-style diet rich in meat, processed foods and calorie-dense meals as the biggest driver of rising obesity

Meanwhile, Liao argued that China’s growing obesity rate reflects an environment that increasingly encourages weight gain

People are surrounded by inexpensive, high-fat, high-sugar foods, while sedentary jobs and the convenience of food delivery have further reduced opportunities for everyday physical activity, he said

Healthy food is often more expensive and less accessible than less nutritious alternatives. When healthier choices become a “luxury” that demands more time and money, many people gradually gain weight without realising it. In this environment, willpower alone is rarely enough

Those interviewed said demanding work schedules and entrenched habits make losing weight especially difficult

Luo Hao (pseudonym), a 40-year-old researcher at a state-owned enterprise, is trying to lose weight through acupuncture. He also watches what he eats but struggles to find time to exercise

“My days are packed with meetings, and I have to work overtime to finish everything else,” he said. “That’s just not something I can change.”

Wang Rui, a 28-year-old finance professional, said he abandoned his first attempt to lose weight last month, blaming China’s “996” work culture — working from 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week — and long-established habits

“After grinding through the day, I’m exhausted,” he said. “All I want is a milk tea, some barbecue and a few beers as a reward. Weight loss can wait.”

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “人口在减少 腰围在增大 中国全民体重管理在路上”

Related: As jobs dry up, personal trainers are going door-to-door | China’s tech giants burn cash to try to dominate AI healthcare

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