Over *70 million Chinese are classed by
the health ministry as overweight, while 20 percent of urban children
are now considered overweight or obese. For China's white collar
families, lifestyle and diet changes over the last two decades
have been immense. There is even a health club boom in prosperous
big cities. But at US600 or $700 for a membership of a trendy fitness
club, joining is not an option for the struggling urban worker,
nor is it likely to be necessary. Business people find themselves
loosening their belts more than others because of the crucial role
that entertaining plays in Chinese business culture. But at least
they can afford the the fitness club membership.
*Seventy million out of 1.3 billion is not much in percentage
terms, but in sheer numbers it is equivalent to the population
of the UK and Greece combined.
Chinese cuisine has been exported to the world very successfully. Tea is the one singular item that has eclipsed all Chinese foodstuffs and even the cuisine itself in its influence on the wider world. A drink enjoyed in all its various forms by everyone from Japanese Emperors to Russian peasants. more …
