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Q: Have you ever seen American-style obese people here in China?
I saw a Chinese woman on the streets of Shanghai who was way too overweight. Like she was so fat that people stared at her. She could barely walk properly because of the massive fat rings around her shins. It wasn't a pretty sight but at the same time it was rare to see someone that obese. I think she's only the second ultra-fat person I've seen here before (like the kind that almost needs a mini vehicle to take them around because their legs can't take their upper body weight).
I have seen more and more obese children in the last 18 months in China. In my first teaching job one 6 year old boy weighed about 40Kg: his mother kept bribing him with sweets.
Scandinavian:
I am sure such a kid will become something big one day
God yes!
Many boys around 10 - 15 years old. I call them the KFC generation.
Yes....all the time but usually young boys like others have said.
Like this kid.....
RachelDiD:
Ugh. The fat little boys are the worst, behavior-wise. I feel bad for saying this, but, at my old job, we used to gauge how awful a class would be by the number of fat little boys in it.
I think obesity is becoming more common as China embraces western culture.
I'd say IF more fast food joints keep opening up more Chinese kids will become like American kids.obesity breaks my heart for all kids it's a very bad trend that we must stop.
Did you know what keeps most people thin here is hepatitis B. 40 percent of Chinese have hepatitis B.
I haven't seen any really huge people yet, but they are coming. I think it is a combination of western fast food outlets and the single child aspect where the parents can't say no to the child despite how much junk he/she has put in their mouth already. A large number believe KFC,McD and Pizza Hut are real western cuisine and are surprised when they learn it is regarded as junk food, nice occasionally but not often. also it is a way of showing off wealth. It is a real problem in the making and I am not sure if China is really geared up for it.
bill8899:
Yea, it's like buying an iPhone simply to show you can. Interesting.
Does looking in the mirror count ? I seem to have gained a bit of weight the last month. This is what happens when the hole at the top is bigger than the hole at the bottom, stuff builds up.
More seriously. of course it is an accelerant that people now have access to fast food with American characteristics, but as I wrote in another thread. There is a majority of small boys that ar obese, sure there is a middle-aged woman who mimics the American shape, but it's not that bad. Is the problem of the OCPs Little Emperor Syndrome not that parents/grandparents simply do not know how to say no to their little boys, and just as much, do not dare push the spoiled young-ens to be more physically active. Those who are so unfortunate to have had girls knows she needs to stay fit to be able to serve as a future meal ticket.
This kind of obesity in Chinese probably caused by some disease like asthma that makes a person have to take a lot of pills and which eventually leads to multiple hormonosis. And with some medical sections altogether they gain weight in a reversely abnormal way. That is sad.
I have indeed seen people like this. I had a 5 year old student who was in excess of 40kg!
Also the diet here is changing, if I venture into McDonalds for breakfast of a week day now it is chock full of Chinese students. No longer do they make do with baozi and soy milk.
Scandinavian:
you have to remember a certain percentage of those students are there to eploit McDs wifi.
Now China is past the days of extreme poverty (to at least a higher population than 40 years ago) we are seeing more and more Chinese becoming obese. In theory it's about showing face, I'm fat because I can afford to eat well.
The British upperclass did a similar thing during the 1700s, it was a sign of wealth to have rotting teeth (tooth decay) as sugar was VERY expensive, so by having bad teeth you looked wealthy.
