Teens in China with healthy habits more likely to be overweight

Washington, July 12 (ANI): A study has found that teenaged boys from well-off Chinese families, who say they are physically active and eat plenty of vegetables but few sweets, are more likely to be overweight.

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) examined how weight among Chinese adolescents relates to factors like sleep duration, physical activity, diet and general demographics.

"Findings from this large cohort of data on Chinese youth suggest that weight-related correlates might play different roles in Chinese culture than they do in Western cultures," Ya-Wen Janice Hsu, Ph.D., M.P.H., research assistant at the Keck School's Department of Preventive Medicine and the study's first author, said.

"This suggests that influences on obesity are society-dependent, and assumptions based on Western societies may not be applicable to Chinese populations," Hsu said.

The analysis was based on 9,023 questionnaires submitted by randomly selected middle school and high school students in seven of China's most populated urban areas: Harbin and Shenyang in the northeast, Wuhan in central China, Chengdu and Kunming in the southwest, and Hangzhou and Qingdao in the coastal regions.

Possible explanations for the East-West inconsistencies noted in the study include the fact that rice is a staple grain in the traditional Chinese diet and vegetables are often deep-fried and stir-fried (weight-related factors that were not measured by the study).

Industrialization and rapid economic growth have also affected Chinese diets and physical activity levels. Food consumption has increased and junk food has become more readily available.

On the other hand, physical activity has decreased as more people can afford cars, televisions and computers.

"The most interesting finding is overweight Chinese youth have higher social economic status," Hsu said.

"One potential explanation is that the unhealthy lifestyle changes, driven by the rapid shifts in Chinese economic climate, are choices available primarily to the wealthier population.

"As the Chinese economy continues to grow, it is crucial to track these paradoxical relationships, which may or may not 'flip' to match relationships we now see in Western countries," Hsu explained.

The study has been published in the July 2011 issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior. (ANI)