The Chinese Don’t Get Fat.

Or do they? (Check out Dr. Eades‘ great post on this study)

Most of the China studies I’ve read deal with rural Chinese and appear to show that their low-fat, high-grain diet is superior for health. This, of course, flies in the face of all Western research, which clearly shows a link between carbohydrate consumption and diseases of civilization.

I’ve often heard this criticism from peers and clients alike:

“If carbs are so bad, why aren’t the Chinese all fat? Don’t they eat a lot of rice? And shouldn’t there be a tremendous diabetes epidemic in China?”

There are generally two responses I give:

1) Traditionally, the amount of rice/grain eaten in China (and Asian cultures as a whole) is slight – generally a cup or two a day. This is the equivalent of roughly 45-90 grams of carbs, which is a far cry less than the daily carb consumption of the average American.

2) There is a diabetes epidemic in China.

If only they’d seen pictures of my extended family in Malaysia. Or my Taiwanese godmother, who is obese and has Type 2 diabetes (and has been forbidden by her doctor from eating a mere grain of rice – smart guy).

During my trip to China last summer, I was struck by the number of diabetes treatment clinics we passed by on the 20 minute drive from the airport to my parents’ apartment in Shanghai (three, if you were curious).

The bottom line: China has a BIG public health problem on its hands; one that will cost them dearly if they don’t manage to get it under control. But how?

• Place greater emphasis on real food instead of manufactured foods (say, yu choy vs. prawn chips).
• Given China’s improved economic status, deemphasize grains for more nutritionally dense fare, i.e., meats, cruciferous veggies, etc.
• Educate Chinese on what constitutes “healthful eating” (for example, not yu tiao).

What are your thoughts? Got any stories? Post to comments.