Rising trend of early human death cases in recent years in China have sounded alert on how to find effective ways to prevent the widespread sub health problems, which has so far surfaced as a new killer of human life in China.

According to a latest survey in 16 major Chinese cities with over-one-million population, surprisingly high proportions of urban Chinese have been suffering sub health problems. Beijingers, Shanghainese and Cantonese have respectively witnessed 75.31, 73. 49, and 73.41 percent of their residents in the sub health condition.

Generally, if you are experiencing reduction in vitality and adaptability but there is no defined disease diagnosed, one is quite likely to be in a sub health state, which features physiological function deterioration between health and illness.

The problem is rather prevalent among senior and middle-level managers, clerks and other white-collar staffs with high educational level, said the website of the Red Cross Society of China.

"The sub health condition, found in most cases among the groups of people with high educational level and spearheading the efforts for national rejuvenation, will exert direct negative effects on China's long-term development and sustained progress if not handled timely and properly," the website warned.

An authoritative survey by the Chinese Academy of Sciences indicates that the average life span of Chinese intellectuals is 58 years, 10 years lower than the nation's average. And the early death phenomenon has proved to be accelerating.

In the 25-59 year group of Chinese intellectuals, the death rate of the female is as high as 10.4 percent, with the male even higher, up to 16.5 percent.

A report released by the China Sub Health Academic Seminar said China's health issue is experiencing a transitional period and many chronic diseases have taken place of infectious diseases to become the main lead-up of death.

"The annual economic losses caused by diseases is as high as 1, 400 billion yuan (US$169.5 billion), or more than 14 percent of China's annual gross domestic product," said the report.

"Bad working habits, poor disease prevention knowledge, inadequate governmental investment and lack of health education are the main reasons," said Yang Xiaoduo, an healthcare expert with a local health association, who said that China should run against time in exploring measures to solve the sub health problem.

"If the sub health problem is not effectively controlled through improving health education, both the state and the society are surely to suffer another heavy burden in a not far future," Yang was quoted as saying by the China Economic Times.

But according to experts, the Chinese medicine can well play an active role in fighting sub health.

"Traditional Chinese medicine healthcare's effect in preventing can well surpass that of healthcare foods and will fetch no negative effective to the human body if it's carried out appropriately," said Huang Jianjun, a professor from the Beijing Chinese Medicine College.

"For example, foot massage is one of the best practices that could effectively improve blood circulation, ease tiredness and reduce the burden of the heart," he said. 

(Xinhua News Agency September 18, 2004)