The Chinese people are getting heavier and less healthy.

As healthcare costs rise, prevention becomes the watchword. And a balanced diet is believed to be the best way to stay healthy.

China is going to update its food guidelines this year in the hope of combining healthy eating with exercise.

A decade ago, the China Nutrition Society developed a "food pagoda", a tool to help people make healthy food choices.

The food pagoda helps people choose from a variety of foods so they get the required amount of daily nutrients. The suggested servings can help them control the amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar or sodium in their diet.

At the base of the "food pagoda", there is a group that contains breads, grains and cereals. These foods provide complex carbohydrates, which are an important source of energy, especially for a low-fat meal plan. The guidelines recommend a daily intake of 300 to 500 grams of these foods.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients, low in fat and sodium, and high in fiber. The "food pagoda" suggests 400 to 500 grams of vegetables and 100 to 200 grams of fruit every day.

Meat, poultry and fish supply protein, iron and zinc. The "food pagoda" suggests 50 to 100 grams of cooked meat, fish or poultry.

Products made with milk provide protein, vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. The "food pagoda" suggests an intake of 100 grams every day.

The fats at the top of the "food pagoda" should comprise the smallest percentage of our daily diet. Foods in this category provide calories but they offer very little in the way of nutrition.

In an interview with the Beijing Times, Ge Keyou, chairman of the China Nutrition Society, said that the revision of the "food pagoda", is necessary since the diet of Chinese urbanites is experiencing great changes.

City dwellers eat too much meat, poultry and oil, while turning a cold shoulder to cereals. Meanwhile, the intake of such nutrients as calcium, iron and vitamin A is far from enough for both urban and rural residents.

The new guidelines are expected to adjust recommendations for foods. A balanced diet will continue to be the rule for the updated and revised version.

Intake of too much nutritious food is the cause of lifestyle-related diseases. The rate of chronic diseases has gradually increased in Chinese cities due to changes in diet and the resultant excessive intake of nutrients.

Obesity, liver problems, hypertension, cerebrovascular irregularities, diabetes and other diet-related diseases are becoming increasingly common.

We used to be the country with the slimmest population in the world. Now our waistline is growing as fast as that of developed countries.

Studies have found that 27 percent of urban children aged 10 to 12 are overweight. In Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing, about 15 per cent of the adult population is classified as either overweight or obese. This result is consistent with the accelerated consumption of meat, edible oil and other sources of fat, as well as the reduction of exercise.

A lot of this is because we are becoming a nation of couch potatoes. We are spending more time in front of computer screens and TV sets than playing sports. We are sitting in cars instead of walking or cycling to our destinations.

The government is worried about the trend toward a fatter China because of all the health problems overweight people can have.

The government is looking at how to improve the way it teaches the people about the need to both exercise and eat properly in order to stay healthy.

As a result, the "food pagoda" will be redesigned to show how important physical activity is when it comes to safeguarding our health.

It is necessary to translate the science of healthy eating into a practical pattern of food choices that meets nutritional needs, promotes health and minimizes the risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases.

Hence, the new "food pagoda" will be all about healthy lifestyle choices, rather than just focusing on what we eat.

It is hoped that these new guidelines, combining exercise and healthy eating, will encourage more Chinese people to adopt healthier lifestyles.

Exercise benefits every part of our bodies, including the mind. Experts now know that it wards off a host of possible health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and even depression.

The right balance of food and activity helps us feel great and remain at a healthy weight.

Can such guidelines work in a nation which has opened its door to Western fast food giants such as Macdonald's, KFC and Subway?

Such fast food has captivated the taste buds of China's young people.

So the government has a long way to go to get its food guidelines widely accepted and steer people away from unhealthy lifestyles.

(China Daily February 3, 2007)