According to recent national statistics, overweight and obesity rates in China rose 3 to 4 percent respectively compared to 2005, People's Daily Overseas reported.

The data was published in the 2010 National Physique Monitoring Bulletin, conducted jointly by the State Sports General Administration, the Ministry of Health and eight other government agencies.

The report measured multiple indicators include body shape, body functions and physical fitness. The result shows that overweight and obesity rates of adults and the elderly grew to 32.1 and 39.8 percent of the population respectively, which are 3.0 and 4.2 percentage higher than those of 2005.

“Over the past 10 years, the increase of Chinese people's body weight is almost equivalent to that of westerners in the past 30 years,” said Wang Mei, a researcher at the Institute of Sports Science.

Due to a substantial decline physical activity, increased calorie intake, heavy workload and other factors, Chinese people, especially adults, have suffered from premature aging and deteriorating health.