Chinese scientists have recommended a region-specific diet they say is crucial to improving eating habits in the country amid a rise in obesity and lifestyle diseases, and as a means to conserve natural and environmental resources.

In October (2024), China published its first set of guidelines to standardise the diagnosis and treatment of obesity.

More than half of China’s adults are overweight and obese, and the rate is expected to keep rising.

The government has said that healthier diets are important to treat and prevent obesity.

A group of scientists from Sun Yat-sen University’s School of Public Health in Guangzhou, in China’s affluent southern Guangdong province, said its study adheres to a “Planetary Health Diet” and advocates a reduced consumption of dairy products and red meat.

Published August (2024) in the Nature Food journal, the study recommended that in China’s north, which is characterised by a high intake of dairy products but low consumption of vegetables, people need to eat more fruits and whole grains.

In the southwest, which has a harsher environment and severe water scarcity, the region could focus on a high intake of legumes and vegetables, rather than its existing very high consumption of red meat, the study said.

In the east, known for its “affluent agricultural culture and developed aquaculture”, a higher intake of whole grains, seafood and vegetables was recommended for its residents.

China’s health commission did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The recommended diets work for the prevention of “obesity and cardio-metabolic diseases,” said study co-author Associate Professor Dr Liu Yan, adding that they help reduce premature death and disability, and ensure nutritional requirements for residents.

Not only China, but also other developing nations facing similar health and environmental challenges could benefit from the roadmap for the diet, the scientists said in the study.

World Wildlife Fund global food lead scientist Dr Brent Loken said the study provided a promising way forward for developing countries, including India and Kenya.

“Adopting these planetary health diet variants could serve as a viable strategy for dietary shifts in China to achieve both human health and environmental sustainability goals... with lessons translatable to other countries around the world,” he said. – Reuters