Chinese children are getting fatter due to lack of exercise. (Photo : Getty Images)
The World Obesity Federation predicted that China will have the most number of obese people by 2025.
The federation released a report stating that if the eating trends of China does not change, obese children and teenagers aged between 5 and 18 in Chinese mainland will reach 48.5 million by 2025, a number that surpasses the population of Spain.
In India, obese youth will reach 17.3 million, and the U.S. will have 16.7 million.
China already was 8th in the world for having the fastest childhood obesity rate. The first three nations in the list are Vietnam, Azerbaijan and Serbia.
Tim Lobstein, the World Obesity Federation's Director of Policy, said, "The ads for junk food are affecting people's choice of food in the world, and more families are living in the cities with low income which will often lead to the gaining of weight."
Another food expert, Professor Joep Perk, cardiovascular prevention spokesman for the European Society of Cardiology, said, "This is extremely worrying. It is the worst explosion of childhood and adolescent obesity that I have ever seen. The study is large and well run, and cannot be ignored. China is set for an escalation of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and the popularity of the Western lifestyle will cost lives."
The rapid escalation of obesity between girls and boys was reported by the World Health Organization. Obesity in boys increased from 0.74 percent and 0.03 percent in 1985 to 16.4 percent and 17.2 percent in 2014.
The prevalence of obesity in girls increased from 1.5 percent and 0.12 percent in 1985 to 13.9 percent and 9.1 percent in 2014, respectively.
