China Medical News

All major hospitals in China will establish weight management clinics by the end of next month, according to a guideline released last month by the National Health Commission and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The requirement applies to all general hospitals, pediatric and traditional Chinese medicine hospitals under direct administration by the commission, the administration and provincial-level authorities. Other tertiary hospitals at the top of the nation's three-tier hospital system are also encouraged to establish weight management clinics.

The guideline clarifies that a weight management clinic should be staffed by specialists in the fields of pediatrics, general practice, endocrinology, nutrition, psychiatry and psychology, cardiovascular medicine, gastroenterology, general surgery, rehabilitation and TCM. It added that hospitals with strong capabilities are encouraged to establish obesity prevention and control centers and provide hospitalized services.

Official data shows that more than half of Chinese adults are either overweight or obese. From 2018 to 2022, the number of overweight adults rose from 22.8% to 34.3%, and those classified as obese more than doubled from 7.1% to 16.4%. Among children and teenagers aged 6 to 17, more than 11.1% are overweight and nearly 8% are obese. (Source: China Daily)