The fast-food (FF) industry and obesity rates have rapidly increased in China. This study examined the FF industry growth in China, key factors contributing to the growth, and the association between FF consumption (FFC) and obesity. We collected related data from multiple sources and conducted analysis including linear regression analysis on the increase in FF revenue. It was found that FF industry in China is large, with over two million FF facilities. Its total revenue (in million US$) increased from 10,464 in 1999 to 94,218 in 2013, and by 13% annually since 2008. Increased income, urbanization, busier lifestyle, speedy FF service, assurance of food safety, new brands and foods have stimulated demand for FF. Studies have linked FFC with obesity risk, including a few reporting a positive association between FFC and obesity in China. Rapid expansion of Western-style FF restaurants has also stimulated local FF industry growth. Government regulation and public health education need to address the health consequences of rapidly increasing FFC. Lessons learned in China will help other countries.
The fast-food (FF) industry and obesity rates have rapidly increased in China. This study examined the FF industry growth in China, key factors contributing to the growth, and the association between FF consumption (FFC) and obesity. We collected related data from multiple sources and conducted analysis including linear regression analysis on the increase in FF revenue. It was found that FF industry in China is large, with over two million FF facilities. Its total revenue (in million US$) increased from 10,464 in 1999 to 94,218 in 2013, and by 13% annually since 2008. Increased income, urbanization, busier lifestyle, speedy FF service, assurance of food safety, new brands and foods have stimulated demand for FF. Studies have linked FFC with obesity risk, including a few reporting a positive association between FFC and obesity in China. Rapid expansion of Western-style FF restaurants has also stimulated local FF industry growth. Government regulation and public health education need to address the health consequences of rapidly increasing FFC. Lessons learned in China will help other countries.
Abstract Intergenerational disparity in income and health violates the norm of equal opportunity and deserves the attention of researchers and policy makers. To understand changes in intergenerational disparity, we created the intergenerational mobility index (IMI), which can simultaneously measure changes in income rankings and in health outcomes across two generations. We selected obesity as one health outcome to illustrate the application of IMI due to its severe health and financial consequences for society and the significant changes in the distribution of obesity across income groups. Although obesity has increased in all income groups in the last four decades, higher income groups have tended to have a faster increase in obesity, which has reduced the disparity in obesity across income groups. The strength of our intergenerational approach within families is to control the genetic influence, which is one of the strongest determinants of obesity. The decomposition of the IMI illustrates that it captures changes in obesity distribution (holding constant income rankings between generations) and changes in income rankings (holding constant the obesity distribution across generations), simultaneously. We used the data of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), which have been collected since 1967, is the longest longitudinal survey in the U.S. The PSID surveyed respondents' height and weight were recorded in 1986 and from 1999 to 2007. We selected respondents from 1986 as the parental generation and respondents from 2007 as the adult children's generation. To make the adult children's body weight status and income comparable to their parents', we stratified the analysis by gender. For the pairs of fathers and adult sons, we found the intergenerational disparity in overweight, a less severe indicator of excessive fatness, across income was decreasing. This was partially due to the up-swing in the adult children's income status. For the pairs of mothers and adult daughters, we found a similar decrease in socioeconomic disparity in obesity. However, decomposition of the IMI indicated that changes in income distributions between mothers and adult daughters contributed smaller effects than that between fathers and adult sons. Our study has demonstrated that the IMI and its decomposition are useful tools for analyzing intergenerational disparity in income and health.
This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the recent obesity prevention–related food policies initiated in countries worldwide. We searched and reviewed relevant research papers and government documents, focusing on those related to dietary guidelines, food labeling, regulation of food marketing, and policies affecting food prices. We also commented on the effects and challenges of some of the related policy options. There are large variations regarding what, when, and how policies have been implemented across countries. Clearly, developed countries are leading the effort, and developing countries are starting to develop some related policies. The encouraging message is that many countries have been adopting policies that might help prevent obesity and that the support for more related initiatives is strong and continues to grow. Communicating information about these practices will help researchers, public health professionals, and policy makers around the world to take action to fight the growing epidemic of obesity and other nutrition-related diseases.
Purpose: To examine the effects of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Mission-X: Train Like an Astronaut program (MX) on children's health-related knowledge and behaviors of a sample of US participants. Design: A nonexperimental pilot intervention study in 5 cities with a pre–post comparison of children's health-related knowledge and behaviors in the United States in 2014 and 2015. Sample: Children (n = 409) with a mean age (standard deviation) of 10.1 (1.7) years. Measures: Children answered pre- and postintervention questionnaires. We measured the differences in children's health knowledge on nutrition and physical fitness and behaviors on diet and physical activity as scores. Intervention: A 6-week web- and school-based intervention for a healthier lifestyle by introducing physical fitness and science activities based on actual astronaut training under a teacher's supervision. Analysis: Nonparametric analysis and logistic regression models. Results: Participants significantly improved both of their health behaviors on physical activity ( P < .001) and diet ( P = .06) and their health knowledge regarding nutrition ( P < .001) and physical fitness ( P < .001) after the intervention. The improvement in children's behaviors ( P < .001), knowledge ( P < .001), and the total score ( P < .001) after intervention did not significantly vary by sex or age, after adjusting for year of participation and state of residency. Discussion: The MX seems effective in improving health behaviors and health knowledge of participating children, which may serve as a model for sustainable global child health promotion program. Further research is needed to test its long-term effects on child health.
In: Twin research and human genetics: the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies (ISTS) and the Human Genetics Society of Australasia, Band 19, Heft 5, S. 472-484
Background: Despite evidence for some genetic control of dietary intake in adults, there is little evidence of how genetic factors influence children's dietary patterns. Objective: To estimate heritability of dietary intake in twin children from China and test if genetic effects on dietary intakes vary by the children's socio-economic status (SES). Methods: A sample of 622 twins (162 monozygotic and 149 dizygotic pairs; 298 boys and 324 girls aged 7–15 years) was recruited in South China. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated 145-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Pooled and sex-specific dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis. Heritability was estimated using structural equation models. Results: Heritable components differed by gender and for nutrients and food groups; and estimated heritability of dietary patterns was generally greater in girls than boys. In boys, estimated heritabilities ranged from 18.8% (zinc) to 58.4% (fat) for nutrients; and for food group, 1.1% (Western fast foods) to 65.8% (soft drinks). In girls, these estimates ranged from 5.1% (total energy) to 38.7% (percentage of energy from fat) for nutrients, and 12.6% (eggs) to 94.6% (Western fast foods) for food groups. Factor analysis identified five food patterns: vegetables and fruits, fried and fast foods, beverages, snacks and meats. Maternal education and family income were positively associated with higher heritabilities for intake of meat, fried, and fast food. Conclusions: Genetic influence on dietary intakes differed by gender, nutrients, food groups, and dietary patterns among Chinese twins. Parental SES characteristics modified the estimated genetic influence.
OBJECTIVES: This study examined:1) prevalence of overweight and obesity (ov/ob) in children aged 0–18 y in China, 2) national policies and intervention programs on childhood obesity in China since 1949, and 3) provided recommendations for future work. METHODS: Literature search and expert consultation were conducted to identify childhood obesity related national intervention programs and policies in China since 1949. We systematically searched: a) Baidu.com, the dominant search engine in China, b) official websites of national-level government sectors, c) Chinese databases: CNKI and Wanfang from 1949 to 2018, and d) google.com. 20 leading international (eg, from the US) and national (from China) experts on childhood obesity were surveyed in November-December 2018. RESULTS: In China prevalence of ov/ob increased from 5.8% in 1991 to 9.5% in 2011 in preschool children (2–6 y), and from 8.0% in 1985 to 27.9% in 2014 in school children (7–18 y). Development of national policies on childhood obesity prevention experienced 3 stages: 1) 1949–1994: Childhood ov/ob were low, related research and national surveys emerged; 2) 1995–2010: childhood ov/ob increased rapidly, related policies and intervention programs were gradually established; 3) 2011-: policies focused on improving nutrition status of children in poor areas, establishing monitoring systems, but effectiveness of these polices was not assessed. Nine major national intervention programs were identified. Institutions implementing the interventions mainly included the State Council and institutions directly under the State Council. The programs focused on preschool or school children and aimed to promote physical activity (eg, "The Happy 10 Minutes Program") and healthy eating (eg, School Meal Program). No interventions targeted at improving environments. Effectiveness of the programs was not reported. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood ov/ob has increased rapidly in China, with the fastest increase among major countries and has the largest number of ov/ob children in the ...
