通过改变饮食习惯来控制慢性疾病

According to the Ministry of Health, currently, 260 million Chinese people have been diagnosed with chronic diseases, and 85 percent of all deaths in China are caused by such diseases. Among them, cardiovascular diseases afflict more people than any other kind of chronic condition.

According to WHO, salt consumption, one of the key causes of hypertension that can lead to cardiovascular diseases, is much higher in China.

Douglas Bettcher is the director of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative.

"The average Chinese person consumes about 12 to 14 grams (of salt) per day. The optimum recommendation of WHO is consumption of less than 5 grams of salt per day. Excessive salt consumption is a major factor for cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, which is a high part of the Noncommunicable Diseases, or NCDs in China."

In November, the WHO member states agreed to a set of voluntary targets to prevent and control chronic diseases by 2025, among which daily salt intake is expected to be reduced by 30 percent among people aged 18 and above.

Also in May, the Ministry of Health issued a plan to prevent and control chronic diseases from 2012 to 2015, in which it sets the goal that by 2015, the average intake of salt per person per day will be reduced to less than 9 grams.

Changing the way that food is prepared also, looking at soy sauces with lower salt content can be a major driver to reduce the salt intake in China.

Another major contributor of high Noncommunicable Diseases or NCD in China is smoking. Dr Michael O'Leary is the representative of WHO.

"We know already that one million deaths in China are related to tobacco. This is an enormous number. It means that we are seeing nearly 3,000 deaths a day in China, or two deaths every minute related to tobacco."

According to O'Leary, smoking is also a major contributor not only to death at the end of life to the elderly people, but in fact, tobacco causes premature mortality. About 26 percent of men who die from tobacco related diseases in China die before the age of 60. People who should be in the prime of life are dying too young.

Experts say that China has made some strides in banning smoking but still more efforts are needed, like enforcing the implementation of the current anti-smoking laws, protecting people from second hand smoke; offering to help to quit tobacco use; enforcing bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco, and raising the tax on tobacco.

In May 2012, the World Health Assembly, WHO's governing body decided to adopt a global target of a 25 percent reduction in premature mortality from NCD by 2025. In November 2012 WHO Member States agreed on a set of voluntary global targets that will achieve the global NCD mortality reduction goal; a key target is to reduce tobacco use in adults by 30 percent by 2025.

More than half of the non communicable disease burden is preventable by modifying lifestyles and reducing risks. Four key risk factors are: tobacco use, diets high in fats, salt and sugar, environments that prevent physical activity, and alcohol consumption. And it looks like those are the areas that need change most urgently.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.