How changes of life style, from breakfast to sleep, have changed Chinese people's health? A survey result on residents of different areas at different ages about these matters, has been published on Monday to serve as a scientific basis for the government to adopt intervention policies.

What's on the dining table?

Cereal remains staple food for Chinese people. Fresh vegetables are also served frequently on the dinner table. Rural residents seem to have more vegetables than their urban peers. However, some 40 percent of the population do not have coarse cereals and 16 percent turn away from potatoes. Both of the two food stuff can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Fifty-five percent of the diet is fried wheaten food which does no good for health.

The rate of eating pork is 94 percent. Beef, lamb, chicken and aquatic products are much less chosen by diners. As chicken, fish and beef contains high protein and low fat and pork has more fat, quantity of pork should be reduced.

Dairy and dairy products, as well as soybean and soybean products, are still not popular enough in China, especially in rural areas. The rate of drinking fresh milk in rural areas is only one-tenth of that in urban areas, which does not help to improve the osteal health, prevent osteoporosis or malnutrition in poverty stricken areas.

The survey also shows that teenagers prefer beverages much more than adults. 34 percent of teenagers have beverages which have less fruit juice than other soft drinks. Researches have found that carbonated drinks lead to obesity and osteoporosis and impede dental growth among teenagers.

Less breakfast, more restaurant?

3.2 percent of Chinese skip breakfast. Most of them are urban younger generation. Breakfast offers the most important source of energy and nutrition. Lunch or supper does not make up for the energy and protein that are missed in breakfast. As a result, the lack of nutrients like Vitamin A and B, iron, zinc, calcium, etc. damages cognitive power and stamina, or even causes obesity.

Residents eat out as often as 15 percent, or even more than 26 percent for urban residents, which is much higher than rural residents. Too many dinners at restaurants bring to people more fat and increase risks of cardio/cerebra-vascular diseases, high blood pressure and high blood viscosity. The poor sanitation condition in some restaurants also means more exposure to diseases.

Nutrients

The use of tonic additives among the population above the age of 15 is 4.9 percent, much lower than the 40 percent in the US. Compound vitamin, if taken properly, reduces the chances of birth defect, coronary heart disease, colon cancer and breast cancer. The senior citizens can reduce the days of infectious disease by 50 percent by taking compound vitamin and minerals.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers do not use additives of calcium, iron and folacin enough. The use of folacin (which reducing the occurrence of neural tube abnormality) is only 20.5 percent among pregnant women.

No more than 31 percent of children within two years old take nutrient additives. Babies are not fed with auxiliary food in a reasonable way. Insufficient trace element, especially malnutrition, lack of iron and Vitamin A, has lifetime effect on the growth of brain and intelligence of infants and children.

Killers: smoking and drinking

24 percent of the Chinese population smoke. Half of the male population or about 300 million smoke while 2.8 percent of female smoke. The economic losses are 350 million USD a year. Nearly half of male smokers say they consume at least 20 pieces of cigarette a day.

Smoking is still one of the main health threats in China. But tobacco control is a severe challenge. Further researches should be conducted and measures should be taken, in rural areas in particular.

21 percent of the Chinese population drink wine, up from the 17.3 percent in 1991. The increase among the female population is 73 percent. Those who drink wine now begin to do that before 18 years old. The inclination of liquor-drinking happens more in males in rural areas than in females in urban areas.

Half of the liquor they drink is alcohol. Alcohol can cause cardiomyopathy and high blood pressure. Among women, wine addictives have higher risk of breast cancer than non-drinkers. Some foreign researches show a little wine is good for cardiovascular. But it is not advised to drink wine for the purpose of preventing cardiovascular diseases as the theory has to be proven yet.

Keep exercise, keep fit

Only 14 percent of the Chinese population does physical exercises. 24.6 percent of urban residents have physical training in contrast to 10 percent of rural residents. More old people tend to do physical exercises than young and middle-aged people. This is somewhat contrary to the situation in western countries.

Children and teenagers tend to have occasional and short time physical exercises rather than frequent and long time exercises, implying the lack of habit of regular physical exercises and heavy study load among elementary and middle school pupils.

69 percent of children between 6 and 12 years old sleep less than 10 hours a day and 58.5 percent of kids between 13 to 17 years old sleep less than nine hours a day. 10 percent adults sleep no less than seven hours a day.

In manual labor jobs, light, medium and heavy physical labor account for even share each. More than half of laborers mainly sit and stand but do not walk much in their work.

Women still do most of the housework. 53 percent of men do housework while 85 percent of women do. A half-hour or one hour medium physical activities, not for work purpose, can help you have necessary physical exercise your body needs.

By People's Daily Online