According to Beijing's media, international experts in obesity recently predict that by the year 2010, one fifth of Chinese children will be overweight.

Obesity is becoming the most serious epidemic of children in Beijing. Obesity rate of Beijing's children moved up five to seven fold in the past decade. Incomplete statistics show that obesity rates of children from infancy to six, from six to eight and from 11 to 12 were 3.4 percent, 15.4 percent and 20.8 percent respectively, at the end of the last century.

Based on experts' prediction, in the coming five years, the number of overweight children in the world will boost in a surprising rate, causing tremendous impact on public health and economic development.

(China News Service March 10, 2006)