What are the characteristics and main problems of China's dietary structure?

At present, the main problems existing in the dietary structure of Chinese residents are: first, the consumption of livestock meat and oil is too high, and the consumption of cereal food is low; Second, the intake of calcium, iron, vitamin A and trace elements in urban and rural residents is generally insufficient; Third, the vegetable intake of urban residents has decreased significantly, and most residents still have not formed the habit of eating fruits regularly. The main problem in the quantity of food intake is that the calorie intake greatly exceeds the daily metabolism of the body, so the number of overweight and obese people increases rapidly. Wang Longde, Vice Minister of Health, put forward the "eight-character policy" of scientific diet. One is "adjustment", that is, adjusting the order of eating, changing eating fruit after meals to eating fruit before meals; The second is "maintenance", that is, maintaining high fiber intake and maintaining food diversification; The third is "control", that is, control the intake of meat, oil and salt; The fourth is "increasing", that is, increasing fruits, milk, grains and potatoes. The People's Daily published a signed article by Vice Minister Wang Longde. The full text is as follows.

Problem-the dietary structure of some residents is unscientific.

The research shows that the overweight rate of adults in China is 22.8%, the obesity rate is 7. 1%, and the estimated number is 200 million and 60 million respectively. The overweight rate and obesity rate of adults in big cities are as high as 30% and 12.3% respectively, and the obesity rate of children has reached 8. 1%.

The prevalence of dyslipidemia is 18.6%, and the estimated number of patients is1600,000, which is similar to that of middle-aged and elderly people, with little difference between urban and rural areas. The prevalence rate of hypertension was 18.8%, and the prevalence rate in rural areas increased rapidly, and the gap between urban and rural areas was not obvious. The prevalence rate of diabetes is 2.6%, and it is estimated that there are more than 20 million patients, and nearly 20 million people have abnormal fasting blood sugar.

Iron deficiency is the main cause of anemia in China. The prevalence rate of anemia is 15.2%, and the prevalence rate of infants under 2 years old is as high as 24.2%, that is, one in every four infants suffers from anemia. The vitamin A deficiency rate of children aged 3 ~ 12 in China is 9.3%. Vitamin A deficiency will lead to immune system damage, children's illness and increased child mortality 1/3.

Dietary factors play a vital role in the formation of the above health problems. At present, the main problem of Chinese residents' diet is that they can't grasp the structure and quantity of food intake scientifically and reasonably.

The main structural problems are: first, the consumption of livestock meat and oil is too high, and the consumption of cereal food is low. In 2002, the average daily consumption of fat per person increased from 65,438 37 grams in 0992 to 44 grams, and the energy supply ratio of fat reached 35%, exceeding the upper limit of 30% recommended by the World Health Organization. The energy supply ratio of cereals is only 47%, which is obviously lower than the reasonable range of 55%-65%. Second, the intake of trace elements such as calcium, iron and vitamin A by urban and rural residents is generally insufficient. For example, the average daily intake of calcium per person is 39 1 mg, which is only 4 1% of the recommended intake. Third, the vegetable intake of urban residents has decreased significantly, and most residents still have not formed the habit of eating fruits regularly. The daily vegetable intake of urban residents decreased from 65438 0.992g to 365438 0.9g to 252g in 2002. In 2002, the daily fruit intake per capita was 45g, slightly higher than that of 1982, but still less than one or two per capita.

The main problem in the quantity of food intake is that the calories consumed greatly exceed the daily metabolism of the body, and the excess calories are converted into fat and stored by the body, so the number of overweight and obese people increases rapidly.

Impact-The number of patients with chronic diseases is increasing year by year.

To keep healthy, a key factor that needs to be grasped is to balance intake and consumption. Strengthening physical exercise, increasing muscle activity and physical exertion are of course very important factors in health care, but it is impossible to stay healthy without a scientific diet. If you drink an extra can of Coke (355 ml), you will consume about 144 kilocalories, which is equivalent to eating one or two more steamed buns, which can offset the calories consumed by a 40-minute walk. At present, the main factors affecting the health of Chinese residents are lack of exercise and excessive calorie intake. Only the issue of diet is discussed here.

A large number of scientific studies show that obesity is an important risk factor for chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease and hyperlipidemia. Eating too much high-calorie food is the basic factor of obesity. Therefore, excessive calorie intake is one of the direct causes of the above chronic diseases. The current medical technology can not completely cure these chronic diseases, so we can only control their risk factors as soon as possible and strive not to suffer from these diseases. Among the risk factors, controlling excessive calorie intake is an important aspect. Once suffering from these diseases, it is very important to control the progress of the disease and prevent disability. However, in order to control the progress of the disease, the role of medical technology and drugs alone is limited, so we must adjust our living habits and let medical measures play a better role. If diabetics don't control their diet, it is impossible to control their blood sugar level satisfactorily. If these diseases are not well controlled, the later complications and disabilities will seriously affect the quality of life.

In recent years, the dietary structure of China residents is changing in an unreasonable and unhealthy direction. If this change is not corrected and guided in time, it will have a very serious impact on the health status of Chinese residents. In addition, chronic diseases will also have a huge negative impact on the economic living standards of families and the economic development of the country. In the United States, the direct medical cost of diabetes in 1997 was $4 1 1 billion, and the indirect cost caused by disability and death was $54 billion. From 65438 to 0998, the direct expenditure on obesity and related problems was $99.2 billion. Experts estimate that the annual treatment cost of diabetic patients in China is about 4000 yuan; According to the current chronic disease treatment cost and the average annual growth rate, by 20 10, the chronic disease treatment cost in China will reach 588 billion yuan. Such a huge cost burden will bring heavy pressure on macroeconomic development. Therefore, actions to prevent and control chronic diseases must start as soon as possible.

Countermeasures-"Eight-character Policy" of Scientific Diet

Adjustment: adjust the order of eating.

In recent years, China people's dietary consumption has quietly formed a routine, that is, eating fruit after meals. This is true for both banquet service procedures and most people's living habits. This habit is undoubtedly harmful to the health of China people. At present, one of the most important problems affecting people's health is excessive calorie intake. Eating fruit after a meal is often based on satiety or overeating, and then adding meals. As a result, almost all these calories are stored, which aggravates the problem of overweight and obesity.

From the analysis of the composition of fruit itself and the characteristics of human digestion and absorption, it is suggested that adults should eat fruit before each meal (except persimmon and other fruits that are not suitable for eating before meals). Eating fruit before meals has many advantages. First of all, many ingredients in fruits are water-soluble, such as vitamin C and soluble plant fiber-pectin, which can lower blood cholesterol levels. Its digestion and absorption do not need the mixing of complex digestive juices, and it can quickly enter the small intestine through the stomach for absorption. The absorption rate on an empty stomach is much higher than that after meals. Therefore, eating fruit before meals is beneficial to the absorption of essential nutrients. Secondly, eating fruit before meals is conducive to grasping the "eight-point fullness" of a healthy diet. Fruit is a low-calorie food, and its average calorie is only about 1/4 of that of pasta and110 of pork. It is easier to grasp the total intake by eating low-calorie food first. Third, many fruits themselves are prone to oxidation and corruption, such as apples and pears, which quickly change color after being cut, which is an obvious example. Eating fruit first can shorten its residence time in the stomach, reduce its oxidative corruption and reduce the possible adverse effects on the body.

Children are growing up, and some women belong to the constitution of "spleen and stomach deficiency and cold" in traditional Chinese medicine. It is inappropriate or inappropriate to eat fruit before meals. This group of people can eat fruit once between meals instead of eating fruit immediately after meals.

Maintenance: keep high fiber intake and keep food diversified.

High fiber intake is an obvious feature of China's traditional diet. This is a very healthy lifestyle, which needs us to continue to adhere to. Cellulose comes from plants. It can't be digested or absorbed, so it contains no heat.

The analysis of the relationship between dietary nutrition and chronic diseases and their risk factors shows that the higher the proportion of carbohydrate energy supply, the lower the risk of overweight, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol. However, in recent 10 years, the consumption of vegetables in the diet of urban residents in China has been declining, and the energy supply ratio of cereals is obviously lower than the reasonable level. This unhealthy trend needs to be intervened and blocked as soon as possible. At present, the carbohydrate energy supply ratio of rural residents is 61%; It is still within a reasonable range, but it needs to be publicized and reminded as soon as possible to avoid repeating the mistakes of urban residents. Diversification of food is another remarkable feature of China's traditional diet, which meets the requirements of keeping healthy. The first factor to maintain a healthy diet put forward by the World Health Organization and FAO is food diversification. A person with normal absorption and digestion function absolutely does not need dietary supplements or health products as long as his food is diversified. Food is the best supplement of essential nutrients for human body. Compared with artificial or synthetic health care products, natural food absorbs nutrients far better than the former, so the experience of China people is summarized as "food tonic is not as good as medicine tonic". The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) especially recommend the intake of plant foods, and put forward the slogan of "five kinds of fruits and vegetables every day", that is, try to eat five kinds of fruits and vegetables every day. This is also one of the important measures to promote food diversification and maintain health. For people who cannot achieve food diversification due to objective conditions, nutritional supplements for special people or food fortification methods can be adopted according to local characteristics to solve the problem of nutritional deficiency.

Therefore, in order to resist the invasion of chronic diseases, we must try our best to maintain the good habit of high carbohydrate ratio and food diversification in China's traditional diet structure.

Control: control the intake of meat, oil and salt.

With the development of economy and the improvement of people's living standards, the quantity and proportion of meat and oil in the diet of Chinese residents have increased significantly. The proportion of calories provided by this food has greatly exceeded the reasonable structure. China's traditional diet also uses too much salt. China has a saying that "a good cook has a handful of salt", which is an obvious example. Meat is a high-calorie food, which many people already know, but the calories per unit weight of oil are higher, which most people do not know. Every100g of pork provides 395 kilocalories, while100g of oil provides 899 kilocalories, more than twice as much. The daily intake of fat recommended by China Nutrition Society is 25g, while the national average intake is 44g and that of Beijing residents is 83g, far exceeding the reasonable intake.

Many scientific studies clearly show that excessive salt intake leads to water and sodium retention in the body, which is one of the most important risk factors for hypertension. The average daily salt intake recommended by the Nutrition Society of China is 6 grams per person (equivalent to a flat spoon about the size of an adult's thumb), while the average daily salt intake of Chinese residents is 12 grams, which is more than double the difference.

Increase: increase fruits, milk, grains and potatoes.

A large number of scientific studies show that eating fruit regularly can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as tumors; Fruit contains many antioxidant components, which can delay the aging process of cells; A large number of vitamins can maintain the normal differentiation of cells. There is an American proverb, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." People in China, especially male compatriots, generally believe that fruits are snacks and are rarely eaten. To scientifically adjust the dietary composition, we must first increase the consumption of fruits and make fruits an essential ingredient in every meal.

Milk contains a lot of essential nutrients and is easily absorbed by the human body. This can be proved by the fact that infants within four months use milk as the only food or complementary food. Milk not only contains high-quality protein, fat and carbohydrates, but also contains 104 mg of calcium, 24 mg of vitamin A and other essential trace elements per 100 g of milk. Residents in developed countries drink milk every day from birth to old age, while in China, only children and the elderly drink milk, and most adults never drink milk. The survey shows that although the per capita daily intake of milk and its products has increased, it is still 26.3 grams, which is at a very low level. At present, the calcium intake of Chinese residents is insufficient. If we supplement 300 ml of milk every day, it will just make up the calcium demand for one day. Many people only eat calcium tablets to supplement calcium, but they don't know that milk is natural and the most easily absorbed calcium source. Therefore, China people should supplement 300 ml of milk every day, which should be an important part of the diet revolution.

The content of plant protein, B vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids and cellulose in cereals is high. Potatoes are low in fat, high in fiber and rich in minerals. These components are indispensable substances for human muscle and nerve activities. At the same time, the intake of a variety of cereals and potatoes can also make the nutritional components complementary and better meet the needs of the body. In recent years, the amount of other cereals and potatoes except rice and wheat in the diet of China residents has obviously decreased, from1982g per person per day to103.5g in 2002; Potatoes dropped from 179.9 g to 49.5 g. This changing trend is very unfavorable for maintaining health and should be reversed as soon as possible. The daily diet should not only include rice noodles, but also eat as many other grains and potatoes as possible.

In short, China people's current eating habits must be completely changed as soon as possible, so as to restore the original healthy eating structure, increase the types of food necessary for the body, and grasp the balance between daily intake and consumption. Only in this way can we eliminate the basis of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease, greatly reduce their incidence and improve the health level of the whole nation.