The quality of diet of most Chinese people is still not ideal! China Science Report

Recently, the Chinese Nutrition Society officially released the "Scientific Research Report on Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021)". The report points out that the nutritional status of the Chinese population has improved significantly, and the quality of diet has generally improved. However, due to factors such as the imbalance of social and economic development, the aging of the population, and unhealthy diet and lifestyle, there are still some nutrition and health problems in my country that need to be solved urgently.

The report shows that more than half (50.7%) of adult residents are overweight or obese. Obesity has become the primary risk factor threatening the health of Chinese residents.

In addition, the level of physical activity of Chinese residents has declined significantly, and the total amount of occupational, housework, transportation and leisure physical activities of adult residents has decreased year by year. In particular, the decrease in occupational physical activity is the main reason for the decline in total physical activity.

Reduced physical activity is the main risk factor for the continued increase in overweight and obesity rates among adults.

The report pointed out that although some dietary factors in China have improved in the past few decades, the dietary quality of most people is still not ideal, such as high sodium intake, insufficient fruit intake, and insufficient intake of aquatic fish.

The report highlights that high-fat and high-salt intake is still common, and the consumption of sugary drinks is gradually increasing.

Although the average intake level of cooking salt in the Chinese population has declined, it is still higher than the level recommended by the Chinese Nutrition Society. The intake of cooking oil is still high, especially for rural residents, where the consumption of cooking oil has increased significantly.

For people who mainly eat out for a long time, there are problems of excessive consumption of oil and salt and unreasonable dietary structure.

The consumption rates of sugary milk drinks and beverages for children and adolescents in my country are above 30% and 25%, respectively, which are significantly higher than those for adults. At present, the average level of sugar intake among Chinese residents is not high, but the sugar intake ratio of children aged 3-5 is as high as 4.8%, which should be taken seriously.

Chinese residents do not consume enough whole grains, dark vegetables, fruits, milk, fish, shrimp and soy. Only 20% of adults consume more than 50g of whole grains per day. Dark vegetables account for 30% of the total vegetables, which does not reach the recommended level of more than 50%. The average fruit intake of urban residents is only 55.7g/d.

The average intake of milk by Chinese residents has always been at a low level. The average intake of fish and shrimp is 24.3g/d, which has not increased significantly over the years. Currently, the consumption rate of soybeans is low and the consumption is insufficient. About 40% of adults do not often eat soybean products.

Drinking is common among Chinese residents, with more than half of male drinkers drinking excessively (average daily alcohol intake ≥ 15 g). The drinking rate among adult males in my country is 64.5%, while that among females is 23.1%. The average daily alcohol intake among drinkers is 30 g for males and 12.3 g for females.

The report also pointed out that food waste is a serious problem and nutritional literacy needs to be improved. At present, Chinese residents lack nutritional knowledge and have a relatively common unhealthy lifestyle. They are also lacking the ability to scientifically choose food and reasonably match their diet.

The report points out that unbalanced diet is the main risk factor for chronic diseases. The report proposes to take chronic disease prevention as the goal and lead a healthy lifestyle in all aspects.

The report summarizes the dietary factors associated with chronic diseases. Dietary factors associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, soy and its products, milk and its products, fish, nuts, drinking water (tea), etc. Dietary factors that increase the risk of chronic diseases if consumed excessively include livestock meat, smoked meat, salt, alcohol, sugary drinks, and fats.

The report emphasizes the importance of dietary patterns, pointing out that long-term adherence to a balanced dietary pattern is an important cornerstone for healthy longevity and prevention of diet-related chronic diseases, and can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.

The results of a study on the effects of different dietary patterns on health outcomes in the Chinese population showed that the Jiangnan region pattern, characterized by more vegetables and fruits, more fish and shrimp, frequent consumption of dairy and soy products, moderate amounts of cereals and meat and poultry, and light cooking with less salt, represents the healthy oriental dietary pattern.

Source: Chinese Nutrition Society "Scientific Research Report on Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021)"

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