Obesity has rapidly increased in young rural Chinese, a study has warned, because of socioeconomic changes.日前，一項研究警告稱，由於社會經濟的轉變，中國農村肥胖青少年的數量呈激增趨勢。
Researchers found 17% of boys and 9% of girls under the age of 19 were obese in 2014, up from 1% for each in study used a stricter cut-off of the Body Mass Index (BMI) than the World Health Organization standard.該研究發現，在2014年低於19歲的人口中，男孩肥胖比例爲17%，女孩的比例爲9%，而1985年這兩種性別的.肥胖人口比例僅爲1%。這項研究利用身體質量指數（BMI）來評定肥胖，但其使用的臨界值比世界衛生組織所規定的標準更爲苛刻。
"It is the worst explosion of childhood and adolescent obesity that I have ever seen," Joep Perk from the European Society of Cardiology told AFP news agency.歐洲心臟病學會的喬普·珀克在接受法新社採訪時表示：“這是我所見過的兒童和青少年時期肥胖人口最爲急劇的增長。”
The study said China's rapid socioeconomic and nutritional transition had led to an increase in energy intake and a decrease in physical activity. The traditional Chinese diet had shifted towards a diet "with high fat, high energy density and low dietary fibre".該研究稱，中國社會經濟的飛速發展以及營養結構的轉變，導致人們攝入的能量更多，運動量卻有所減少。傳統的中國飲食結構已經向着“高脂肪、高熱量、低纖維”轉變。
The percentage of overweight children has also grown from 0.7% to 16.4% for boys and from 1.5% to nearly 14% for girls, the study said. The data was taken from six government surveys of rural school children in Shandong aged between seven and 18.據悉，接受調查的超重男孩的比例從0.7%增長到了16.4%，女孩則從1.5%增長到近14%。這些數據是來自山東省六個地級市政府對農村學校7-18歲兒童的調查。
On the reason for the higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in boys, the study says: "The traditional, societal preference for sons, particularly in rural areas, may mean that boys are likely to enjoy more of the family's resources."男孩的超重和肥胖比率更高，究其原因，該研究指出：“中國傳統的重男輕女的觀念，特別是農村地區，意味着男孩能更多的享用家裏的資源。”
The researchers recommend that "comprehensive strategies of intervention should include periodic monitoring, education on the pattern of nutrition, physical exercises and healthy dietary behaviour".此外，研究人員還提出了農村地區兒童肥胖問題的全面干預策略，那就是包括定期監測體重、普及營養攝入方式、加強體育鍛煉和培養健康飲食的觀念。
