China battles rising teen obesity, diabetes Slug: China obesity Date 24 July 2012 Reporter: Stephen McDonell

INTR The opening up o! China has pro"uce" #any bene!its !or the people o! the $orl"%s #ost populous country& but there are challenges too' (ro$ing prosperity has le" to #ore !atty processe" !oo"s entering the Chinese "iet& an" couple" $ith less !resh !oo" an" chil"ren $ho "on%t e)ercise& the result is an obesity epi"e#ic' * ne$ stu"y has unco+ere" e+i"ence to sho$ that the nu#ber o! Chinese teenagers $ith "iabetes is nearly !our ti#es higher than a#ong their peers in the ,nite" States' Stephen McDonell has #ore !ro# Ra"io *ustralia' T-.T S/. training In the southern Chinese city o! Shen0hen a group o! 10 or so o+er$eight teenagers are training li2e there%s no to#orro$' This is a li+e3in $eight loss ca#p that re4uires huge co##it#ent' In the s$eltering su##er they 5og& li!t $eights an" "o aerobics 6 hours a "ay& 7 "ays a $ee2& !or #onths on en"' The only !oo" a+ailable is that $hich is pro+i"e" by the coaches' The ob5ecti+e is clear: eat goo" !oo" an" train li2e pro!essional athletes $ith a +ie$ to losing plenty o! 2ilos' (IR8 C8I9 1 :/e#ale& Chinese $ith -nglish translateion;: <=hen I !irst ca#e here& I $eighe" >? 2ilogra#s' I only planne" to stay !or t$o #onths at !irst to see $hether it $or2e"' =ell no$ I%+e registere" !or another t$o #onths because I%+e lost 1@ 2ilogra#s alrea"y'< The reason !or such "esperate #easures is that China%s "iet has change" "rastically in recent ti#es' The opening up o! the country has #eant an enor#ous in!lu) o! 5un2 !oo" chains& especially !ro# the ,nite" States& $hich ha+e only increase" in nu#ber o+er the past !i+e years' *ccor"ing to e)perts& #ore !atty processe" !oo"s& less !resh !oo" an" 2i"s $ho "on%t e)ercise is lea"ing to an e)plosion o! obesity in China' * ne$ stu"y by the ,ni+ersity o! North Carolina has !oun" that Chinese teenagers ha+e "iabetes rates nearly !our ti#es greater than their counterparts in the ,nite" States'

Doctors here are also bracing !or a $a+e o! heart "isease in the co#ing years' S/. chanting =hat%s #ore& bac2 at the $eight loss ca#p& participants tell us that their sel!3estee# has been ta2ing a beating' (IR8 C8I9 2 :/e#ale& Chinese $ith -nglish translation;: <*!ter putting on 16 2ilogra#s I loo2e" #uch bigger than be!ore' I !elt unco#!ortable an" I lost con!i"ence' My parents $orrie" about #e'< =ell $hat "i" your parents say& $e as2 her' (IR8 C8I9 1 :/e#ale& Chinese $ith -nglish translation;: <They tol" #e to lose $eight because I $as unhealthy an" not loo2ing goo"'< The challenge !or Chinese policy #a2ers is the sa#e as that in #any countries: ho$ "o you& on the one han"& respect people%s right to eat unhealthy !oo" i! they chose to& $hile on the other& #anaging a public health crisis as a result o! this 5un2 !oo" in+asion' AAA