Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and other mammals, is increased to a point where it is a risk factor for certain health conditions or increased mortality. Obesity develops from the interaction of individual biology and the environment. Excessive body weight has been shown to predispose to various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis. Obesity is both an individual clinical condition and is increasingly viewed as a serious public health problem.

The effects of obesity are related not only to the amount of fat but to the distribution. Central or visceral obesity, where fat accumulates around the trunk and in the abdominal cavity, is considered to be of higher risk than diffusely distributed subcutaneous fat (Cotran, 1999).The rate of obesity in China has increased by 97% in 10 years, according to a government report.
 
China's first official nutrition and health survey shows that between 1992 and 2002 more than 60 million people became obese. The biggest problem is in China's cities, where 12% of adults and 8% of children were classified as obese.
 
Health officials have been blaming diets too high in fat and a decrease in physical exercise. They warn that obesity is likely to increase even further. However, the study also found that levels of malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies have dropped.
 
 
Health advice needed Results of the 2002 survey were not fully computed until this year because of the large numbers of people involved - more than 270,000 took part in the survey. It found that while China had made progress in reducing poverty its people needed advice about how to live a healthy lifestyle.