China is drafting a new national non-communicable diseases prevention and control program, a senior official has revealed.

The process has been hastened by the publication of a national survey on China's nutritional health released Tuesday. The report shows that China continues to face the twin challenges of nutritional deficiency and imbalance accompanied by a rapid increase in non-communicable diseases.

It is estimated that more than 160 million people are currently suffering from hypertension in China, which also has more than 20 million diabetics, 200 million overweight and over 60 million obese people. Obesity is the most dangerous factor in chronic illnesses.

These chronic diseases are increasing at a rapid rate due to unhealthy lifestyles with too much fat intake and too little exercise.

The energy contribution from fat reached 35 percent in 2002, exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended upper limit of 30 percent. In contrast, the energy contribution from cereals among urban residents is only 47 percent, which is significantly lower than the recommended range of 55-65 percent. Deficiencies in iron, vitamin A and other micronutrients are also a common problem across the country.

At a press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council on Tuesday Vice Minister of Health, Wang Longde, said that China lacks nutritionists and his ministry is drafting relevant regulation to develop the sector. He added that public awareness of nutritional health needs to be increased in both urban and rural areas.

Poverty is not the only problem in the countryside; cases of mothers selling eggs at the market in order to buy sugar or chocolate for their children have been recorded, as well as high levels of vitamin A deficiency despite the ready availability of carrots.

"China has entered into a vital period of health intervention as its economy rapidly develops. We risk following in the footsteps of some developed countries," Wang warned.

(China Daily October 13, 2004)