Children take physical exercise at a summer camp for overweight minors in Qingdao, Shandong province in July. [Photo by He Yi/For China Daily]

Rising standards of living and increasingly sedentary lifestyles have resulted in China becoming the fattest country in the world, and the problem is just beginning. Wang Xiaodong reports.

In November, when Bao Xin's weight soared to 120 kilograms, he decided to take steps. "At that time my life was seriously disturbed by being so overweight. I couldn't even hold my 1-year-old baby for more than five minutes because I would be soaked in sweat," said the 34-year-old IT employee in Beijing.

According to China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, adults with a body mass index between 24 and 27.9 are classified as "overweight", while those with a BMI of 28 or higher are classified as "obese".

Given his weight and height - 1.78 meters - Bao's BMI was 38, which put him firmly in the obese category.

A person's BMI is an important factor in the risk of contracting many illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Unlike his previous attempts which always ended in failure, Bao's efforts to lose weight paid dividends; he lost 30 kilograms in four months by adhering to a strict diet and exercise plan, which was monitored by medical staff.

Experts say that the number of obese people in China - already the largest in the world - is expected to continue to rise and pose an increased health risk, given rising living standards and the prevalence of modern sedentary lifestyles.

"An obesity crisis is likely to happen in China in the next 20 years, and it is already being felt in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai," said Chen Wei, a nutritionist at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital who is also deputy director of the clinical nutrition department at the Chinese Nutrition Society.

"The rising level of obesity is closely linked with the rise in a range of chronic diseases in China in recent years," he said.