Risk factors for obesity in Chinese adults

The World Health Report draws attention to the fact that this is an era of population aging. China is also becoming a society of aging. The total population in China is 12 billion which almost one-fourth of the world population in 1997. There were more than 0.1 billion population aged 65 and over in 1996, which 6 of the total population in China and about 20% of the total aging population in the world. Along with the development of socioeconomic, improvement of living standard and health care system, the death rate decreased gradually since 1960 while the life expectancy increased dramatically since 1949. The life expectancy at birth for Chinese people was 35.6 years before 1949. It increased to 68.9 years, 71.0 years in 1985, 1997 respectively. However, increases in life expectancy mean little if health expectancy is not assured simultaneously