Society

Young Chinese skip meals in hurry, diets deteriorate

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-28 20:35

BEIJING - Young Chinese are paying less attention to their diet, as the fast rhythm of city life and working pressure is leading them to skip meals.

"Big problems exist in the diet of the Chinese youth: not having breakfast, having dinner too late, or taking in too much oil and fat. These eating habits can lead to serious diseases like hyperlipidemia, diabetes, fatty liver, and gout etc," said Li Suyun, a senior nutrition technologist in the Beijing-based Shijitan Hospital, Wednesday.

According to an online survey released last week by the China Youth Daily, more than half of 21,494 respondents said on average they only ate two and a half meals a day.

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Among all respondents, about 60 percent were the post-80s generation and 24.1 percent were in their 30s.

Some 32.4 percent said they didn't have breakfast due to busy work, and 28.1 percent had dinner late.

Also, 23.7 percent had instant noodles or crackers instead of a proper meal.

The survey listed irregular life style, high study and working pressure and limited awareness of the importance of having proper meals as the three main reasons for such behaviors.

Li stressed that breakfast and lunch are the two most important meals in a day, suggesting more fruits and vegetables while excessive meat and oil should be avoided.

Li recommended simple ways to tackle with a busy schedule, such as preparing some tomatoes, cucumber, a bottle of milk and two pieces of bread before a busy morning.

"If your time is rather tight during the lunch time, you can also prepare some vegetables that could be eaten without cooking, such as tomatoes, lotus, carrots, or cucumber."

"As long as you are aware of the importance of meals and pay attention to what you're eating, you can keep a balanced diet," Li added.