Some 40% of Chinese children face obesity by 2030, study finds

Experts call for 20% tax on sugary drinks to combat rising health costs

The share of overweight and obese children and adolescents in China has surged 400% over the last two decades.

FAN QIAOJIA, WANG ZIPEI and DENISE JIA, Caixin

January 28, 2024 19:30 JST

Nearly two in five children and adolescents in China are expected to be overweight or obese by 2030 if current trends continue, research has found. Experts called for urgent measures to counter the problem, including a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened drinks.

The findings, published last month in The Lancet Regional Health and written by researchers at the School of Public Health of Peking University and United Nations Children's Fund, said the rapid increase in child and adolescent obesity in China was having a significant health and economic impact.