Illustration: Xia Qing/GT
Weight management has sparked a lot of interest in China as Healthy China 2030 and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle were emphasized by Lei Haichao, head of the National Health Commission (NHC), at a press conference on Sunday.
In addition to the establishment of weight management clinics, various measures have recently been implemented across different regions of China. In Shanghai, regional medical centers and community hospitals have also introduced weight treatment programs and plan to compile a weight management publicity manual.
According to the Xinhua News Agency in 2024, as an indicator of the gravity of the issue, data shows that 19 percent of minors aged 6 to 17 and 10 percent of children under 6 are overweight or obese, while half of the adult population is now classified as overweight or obese.
“The number of outpatient visits for medical weight management clinics in Peking University People’s Hospital reached nearly 13,000 in 2024,” medical professor Ji Linong, director of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Peking University People’s Hospital, told the Global Times on Tuesday, adding “a health-focused weight loss camp was held in our hospital this month, and participants reported effective results.”
He noted that Peking University People’s Hospital has already established a multidisciplinary team focused on diseases caused by obesity, providing comprehensive treatment through lifestyle management, weight loss medications, and bariatric surgery. Since launching its medical weight loss clinic in 2017, the hospital has been offering integrated care for obesity and obesity-related diseases.
The treatment of obesity is individualized, and a precise plan should be developed based on an assessment of the individual’s condition, using professional medical treatment and lifestyle management to achieve weight loss goals, said Ji, further noting that obese patients need to master personalized weight control methods that can be sustained in the long term to achieve sustainable weight improvement and reduce the risk of weight regain.
Ji noted that the concept of a health-focused weight loss camp aims to provide patients with physical assessments, personalized weight loss plans, and education on scientific weight management. It also seeks to cultivate healthy eating and exercise habits, supporting long-term weight control as well as the prevention and treatment of obesity-related diseases.
“Since weight management is a long-term process, the camp facilitates group interactions to help patients find weight loss partners, allowing them to encourage each other in maintaining a healthy weight,” Ji added.
In this health-focused weight loss camp, 30 obese patients participate in a three-day, two-night immersive weight loss program to learn the correct knowledge and concepts of weight management, raise awareness of a healthy weight loss lifestyle, and achieve long-term weight management goals.
Although Peking University People’s Hospital is the first to implement such a program, Ji said this health-focused weight loss camp will also be introduced in 10 other public hospitals, promoting in-depth weight management efforts nationwide.
The biggest takeaway from attending the camp, Global Times learned from an anonymous participant, was understanding the link between obesity and 200 diseases. He emphasized that public education is crucial, as it helps facilitate the transition from awareness to action, strengthening the determination to lose weight and prevent regain.
However, although some top-tier hospitals have established weight management clinics, they are still not very convenient for people, not only due to their distance but also because of the enormous demand far surpasses the supply, according to thePaper.cn on Tuesday.
Shanghai’s regional medical centers and community hospitals, led by Pudong Hospital, have also joined the effort. In December 2024, they launched a comprehensive weight management clinic, integrating various treatment approaches such as exercise therapy, nutritional therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, medication, and surgery. The city’s community health service centers with the necessary resources have also been involved in the initiative, thePaper.cn reported.
At a Shanghai community health center, a sports intervention clinic is integrated into a digital chronic disease management platform for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia patients. Family doctors and sports health specialists provide medical and functional exercise assessments, prescribing personalized exercise plans. Patients can choose from online home-based, in-hospital, or designated fitness center interventions.
As a participant in the weight loss camp said, recognizing the health risks of obesity is key to effective weight management. Shanghai will organize clinical, nutrition, public health, and sports health experts to compile and promote a brochure for 25 million residents, according to thePaper.cn.
The content will cover dietary control, exercise promotion, regular sleep patterns, and necessary medical interventions. Additionally, AI technology will be deployed to enhance the efficiency of weight management.
