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What is China doing in policy-making to push back the negative aspects of the nutrition transition?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2006

Fengying Zhai ,
Dawei Fu ,
Shufa Du ,
Keyou Ge ,
Chunming Chen  and
Barry M Popkin
Fengying Zhai
Affiliation:
Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 29 Nan Wei Road, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
Dawei Fu
Affiliation:
Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 29 Nan Wei Road, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
Shufa Du
Affiliation:
Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 29 Nan Wei Road, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China Department of Nutrition and Carolina Population Center, CB # 8120 University Square, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516-3997, USA
Keyou Ge
Affiliation:
Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 29 Nan Wei Road, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
Chunming Chen
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 27 Nanwei Road, Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
Barry M Popkin*
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Carolina Population Center, CB # 8120 University Square, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516-3997, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Email popkin@unc.edu
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Abstract

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Objective:

To review the nutrition policies and efforts related to nutrition transition in China.

Design and setting: This paper reviews the nutrition policy and activities of China to prevent and control diet-related non-communicable diseases (DR-NCDs). Data came from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Council and some cross-sectional surveys.

Results:

China is undergoing a remarkable, but undesirable, rapid transition towards a stage of the nutrition transition characterised by high rates of DR-NCDs in a very short time. Some public sector Chinese organisations have combined their efforts to create the initial stages of systematic attempts to reduce these problems. These efforts, which focus on both under- and overnutrition, include the new Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents and the Chinese Pagoda and The National Plan of Action for Nutrition in China, issued by the highest body of the government, the State Council. There are selected agricultural sector activities that are laudable and few other systematic efforts that are impacting behaviour yet. In the health sector, efforts related to reducing hypertension and diabetes are becoming more widespread, but there is limited work in the nutrition sector. This paper points to some unique strengths from past Chinese efforts and to an agenda for the next several decades.

Conclusions:

China is trying in its efforts to prevent and control the development of DR-NCDs but effects are limited. Systematic multi-sector co-operation is needed to effectively prevent and control DR-NCDs inside and outside the health sector.

Keywords

Nutrition policyNutrition transitionNon-communicable diseasesPhysical activityDietary guidelines
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 5 , Issue 1a , February 2002 , pp. 269 - 273
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2002

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