Chinese waistlines stretching fast: official data

BEIJING - More than 30 percent of Chinese adults were overweight in 2012, with the rate surging 32 percent from a decade ago, showed census data released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission on Tuesday.

According to the "2015 Report on Chinese Nutrition and Chronic Disease", 9.6 percent of those aged six to 17 were overweight. This doubled the rate in 2002.

The obesity rate among adults was 11.9 percent, a rise of 67.6 percent from 2002, and 6.4 percent among children and adolescents, a rate tripling that of 2002.

The report said China has a greater proportion of overweight and obese people than developed countries.

Chinese consume more fat than is officially recommended, but less cereal, vegetables and fruit, and still less beans and dairy products.

The report stressed that being overweight causes an array of chronic disease and particularly weighs on children's health.

It took researchers one and a half years to finish the report, which was based on data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Center and other institutes.

China had its first public nutrition and health survey in 2002, with the results announced in 2004. Since 2004, the nation has carried out field surveys every three years to collect data on causes of death, chronic disease and other health issues.