by Xinhua writers Zheng Bofei and Wang Xiaopeng
BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- For eight weeks, approximately 180 overweight teenagers in Shanghai experienced a new kind of fitness intervention -- one that was far more exciting than the usual "run more, eat less" prescription.
Instead of pounding the pavement, they put on virtual reality (VR) headsets and stepped into digital sports arenas, where AI-powered coaches guided them through table tennis and soccer matches.
The coaching system, named REVERIE, was developed by an international multidisciplinary team led by researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. By combining AI-driven coaching, motion tracking, and immersive VR worlds, REVERIE is offering a new way to make exercise more engaging for overweight and obese adolescents.
From campuses and hospitals to dinner tables and fitness centers, weight management in China is undergoing a fundamental shift -- redefined not as a test of willpower, but as a science-backed, society-wide project. That change has been accelerated by a national campaign that is now entering its third year.
Two years ago, 16 Chinese departments and organizations, including the National Health Commission (NHC) and the ministries of education and civil affairs, jointly launched a three-year "Weight Management Year" initiative, which comes amid rising concern over overweight and obesity.
The campaign aims to build supportive environments, promote healthy lifestyles and improve abnormal weight conditions among key groups.
According to the NHC, 34.3 percent of Chinese adults were overweight, and 16.4 percent were obese in 2018. Citing research forecasts, it warned that 70.5 percent of Chinese adults could be overweight or obese by 2030 if no effective measures were taken to curb the trend.
For a growing number of people, weight management no longer means simply "getting thinner." It now represents a broader transformation -- in how they exercise, how they seek medical advice, and how they take charge of their long-term health.
MAKING EXERCISE PART OF DAILY LIFE
Exercise remains the most visible -- and the most accessible -- pillar of China's weight-management push.
At Dalian University of Technology in northeastern Liaoning Province, student Wang Zhucen enrolled in the university's inaugural weight management course. After 21 days of regular exercise, nutritional guidance and group support, he shed 6.3 kilograms -- a loss he described as the best testament to his perseverance. "I felt genuinely happier," he added, "when I sweated for an hour every day with my classmates."
The course offers two tracks -- a 21-day intensive program or a full-semester curriculum -- covering scientific exercise, nutrition and mental health support. In the first intensive session alone, 33 students lost a combined 133 kilograms, while also showing marked improvements in blood pressure and psychological well-being.
Beyond university campuses, young people are reshaping their daily routines, too.
Wang Kai, a 31-year-old finance worker, wrapped up a day at work and entered a gym in Beijing's Chaoyang District at around 7:30 p.m. He threw himself into training gear and plunged into a session of sled pushes, rowing, running and lifting.
"Before, I'd just go home, watch dramas and play on my phone," he said. "Now I come here to train almost every day."
This fitness boom rides on a rapidly expanding public sports infrastructure. By the end of 2023, China had built 4.59 million sports venues and roughly 370,000 kilometers of fitness trails. A National Bureau of Statistics survey found that 49.6 percent of Chinese residents participated in sports and fitness activities in 2024 -- an increase of 18.7 percentage points from 2018.
EATING DIFFERENTLY
For 28-year-old media worker Chen Hao, changing his diet has become as important as changing his workout routine. His annual physical check-ups once showed warning signs stacking up year after year -- late nights, spicy takeout, barbecue and beer. Once he got serious about training, he ditched food delivery, began cooking at home, and made it a habit to get to bed before 11 p.m.
Chen's story exemplifies a pervasive practice commonly emphasized by fitness professionals: regular exercise matters, and it works far better when supported by healthier dietary habits.
At Dalian University of Technology, nutritional guidance is woven into the weight management curriculum. Students are taught to understand how food, training, sleep and mental state intertwine.
"To manage weight, we need to encourage students to engage in scientific exercise and make proper diet a part of their daily routine," said Chang Bo, a professor at Zhuhai College of Science and Technology. "Moreover, college students should strengthen their self-discipline to improve their lifestyles and health management."
The sweeping campaign has reached takeout businesses. In some localities, food delivery platforms and restaurants are being encouraged to offer dishes with less salt, oil and sugar, along with more nutritionally balanced options. The aim is to make healthier choices more accessible -- especially for those who depend on takeout meals.
Experts noted that healthy weight management should not be reduced to short-term dieting. It requires regular meals, balanced nutrition, adequate protein, reduced oil, salt and sugar, fewer late-night snacks, and a deeper understanding of how diet affects blood sugar, blood lipids, body composition and long-term disease risk.
SEEKING MEDICAL HELP
Many people who have already developed metabolic disorders are turning to hospital clinics for professional intervention.
At Sichuan University in Chengdu, the campus hospital recently launched a lifestyle clinic in response to surging demand from students and faculty eager to lose weight scientifically and adopt healthier routines. The initiative came after a freshman survey revealed common problems: skipping breakfast, inadequate sleep, and a sedentary lifestyle, according to Su Qiaoli, vice president of the university hospital.
Unlike conventional medical services that often focus on post-symptom diagnosis and treatment, this clinic prioritizes prevention -- promoting balanced diets, regular exercise, sufficient sleep and emotional regulation -- to intervene early before chronic conditions such as hypertension or diabetes take hold.
Li Xiaoying, director of endocrinology at Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, called obesity the "origin" of many chronic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
"If obesity is brought under control," Li said, "these diseases can be effectively prevented and treated."
In recent years, weight-management medical services have expanded rapidly across the country. By early 2026, more than 5,500 medical institutions at or above the secondary level had set up healthy weight management clinics, according to the NHC. A separate NHC notice said such clinics should coordinate resources from departments including endocrinology, clinical nutrition, psychology, cardiovascular medicine, rehabilitation and traditional Chinese medicine.
New medications have also entered the public discourse. They are not positioned as a shortcut for casual weight loss, but as a medically supervised option for eligible patients living with obesity or related health risks.
A 58-year-old patient surnamed Li, who weighed nearly 100 kilograms, was among the first in China to receive Semaglutide as a prescribed weight-loss treatment after Wegovy -- a Semaglutide-based drug -- entered the domestic market. Wang Cunchuan, Li's physician, recalled that within a day of Wegovy's launch in mid-November 2024, more than 40 eligible patients came to his hospital in Guangzhou for consultations.
Yet doctors caution that weight-loss drugs are unable to act as a perfect shortcut for everyone.
"A medication is ultimately aimed at making patients healthier, improving their quality of life and extending their lifespan," said Mu Yiming, a physician at the Chinese PLA General Hospital. "The focus is not on the body mass index -- it's on the patient."
Since the launch of the three-year weight management campaign, Wang Guangling, deputy director of the clinical nutrition department at Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, regularly appears in short videos on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, to share weight loss knowledge.
"Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint," Wang said, urging the public to manage their weight scientifically, and invest in health through sustained actions.
The message is clear: this is not a temporary campaign to chase a lower number on the scale. It is a long-term shift in how people eat, move, sleep, seek care and manage their health across a lifetime. Enditem
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