More than half of the adult Chinese population are overweight or obese, an official health report says.

The average weight of Chinese men aged 18 years old or above now stands at 69.6 kilograms, according to the report, released on Wednesday. The figure for women is 59 kilograms.

The numbers represent an increase of 3.4 kilograms in men and 1.7 kilograms in women compared with five years ago.

One in three adults is overweight and 16.4% are obese, the report says. Almost one in five children aged between six and 17 is considered fat, compared with one in 10 for those under six.

The report blames unhealthy lifestyles, such as the overuse of oil and salt in both home-cooked food and restaurant fare, as the cause of the high rates.

Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said the rate of people suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic diseases was also on the rise.

Apart from putting on weight, the Chinese population is also growing taller. The average height of men has increased 1.2 centimeters in five years to 169.7 centimeters, while women have grown 0.8 centimeters to 158.

Click here for Chinese version

---------------------------------

Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE

To download the latest version,

iOS: bit.ly/AD_iOS

Android: bit.ly/AD_android

Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play