Is Weight Loss Just Dieting? Read This Genuine Guide Instead
At the press conference of the recent National People’s Congress, the National Health Commission proposed a three-year ‘Weight Management Year’ campaign. This initiative aims to guide society in cultivating habits that prioritise weight awareness, scientific nutrition, and exercise, fostering scientific weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.
Everyone should take primary responsibility for their own health, but weight loss is not merely a personal affair. As dietary habits become increasingly driven by a complex modern food system, managing weight has evolved into a societal issue. It is not simply about a change in the numbers on the scale, but involves a holistic adjustment to diet and lifestyle.
To answer this call, Foodthink has curated a selection of past articles to help readers identify the hidden pitfalls in everyday diets that contribute to obesity, steer clear of the traps set by so-called health foods, and build a balanced dietary structure. Healthy living begins with eating well.
I. The Root Causes of the Modern Obesity Crisis
The National Health Commission’s publicly released Guidelines for Weight Management (2024 Edition) notes that research predicts if left unchecked, China’s adult overweight and obesity rate will reach a staggering 70.5% by 2030, with children’s rates hitting 31.8%. We often attribute obesity to personal failings—“eating too much and moving too little”—but in reality, the modern obesity crisis is a systemic problem. The factors influencing weight are far more complex than we tend to assume.
So-called “modern diets” mean we are consuming increasing amounts of meat, refined grains, refined vegetable oils, and ultra-processed foods. Our dietary patterns are being reshaped by the food industry. These processed items are high in fat and sugar; they not only pack a heavy calorie count but are also engineered to be addictive, fostering dependency. Sugar-sweetened beverages are among the chief culprits driving obesity. Unlike naturally occurring sugars obtained from whole foods, the excessive free sugars in these drinks cause rapid blood sugar spikes, significantly raising the risk of becoming overweight.
Further reading ▼
New Year’s cola: who actually came up with this?
The soft drink tax: a free pass for beverage companies, or a catalyst for better public health?
Bigger fridge, poorer diet? The food ecosystem inside the American middle-class refrigerator
Amid the cooking oil crisis, do we really need to consume so much? | Kouzi Food Views
UN: One in three children is malnourished—could yours be at risk?
II. Budget Takeaways: Laden with Oil and Salt
Food delivery platforms do not produce meals, yet they indirectly dictate the nutritional quality of what consumers end up eating. Driven to the brink by platform pricing strategies and traffic algorithms, merchants see their operating margins severely squeezed. Ultimately, they are forced to cut costs on ingredient quality and hygiene standards, often masking the lack of freshness with excessive salt, sugar, and fat.
Currently, China’s food delivery market boasts a user base of 535 million, with over 200 million urban residents ordering takeaways almost daily. While delivery has become an entrenched part of everyday life, it comes at a steep price: the exploitation of delivery riders, the marginalisation of restaurant owners, and the erosion of consumer health. In the long run, this model could have profound consequences for rising obesity rates and other chronic diseases across the population.
Further reading ▼
“Pinhao fan” group orders: who actually gets to eat well?
The moment they decided to stop ordering takeaways | 315 Consumer Rights Day: Eat Something Decent
Film vs. reality: what is it really like to work as a delivery rider? | Food Talk Vol. 38
III. Are these “healthy foods” actually healthy?
Public anxiety over weight management has led the market to sniff out fresh commercial opportunities. Companies are manufacturing new “healthy products” to pacify consumers, but are these items genuinely better for you, or merely the latest marketing gimmick? Such “healthy foods” frequently boast the backing of nutritional experts. The food industry is all too keen to fund nutrition research, peddling narrow dietary advice to clothe processed foods in the guise of “science”.
This brand of nutritionism reduces food to little more than a “sum of its nutrients”, suggesting that manufacturers can render a processed product healthier than whole foods simply by trimming the undesirable elements and boosting the desirable ones. This approach conveniently sidesteps the negative health effects of additives, preservatives, sugars, and fats inherent in processed foods. As consumers, we should not accept every nutritional recommendation uncritically; placing blind faith in nutritional dogma may, in fact, generate additional health risks.
Further reading ▼
Is plant-based meat actually healthier?
Stop! Stop paying the “IQ tax”: fruit and vegetable juices cannot detoxify you.
Why do nutritional findings so often contradict one another?
If we want to eat well, can we still trust nutritional science?
Have nutritionists become lapdogs for food giants? A registered dietitian’s take
IV. The true principles of healthy eating
Rather than chasing an endless array of trendy “healthy foods”, it is better to return to simple, natural principles of eating, prioritising fresh, whole, and minimally processed ingredients. We need to cut back on highly processed foods and build a diverse, plant-centric diet. This means balancing refined and wholegrain staples, increasing our intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, incorporating more legumes and bean-based products, and enjoying a moderate amount of nuts.
Since obesity is a systemic issue, achieving healthy eating and tackling the obesity crisis requires a fundamental shift in the food system itself. Weight management is not about short-term dieting, but about thoughtfully preparing and enjoying every meal. It calls for seeking out alternative, local food networks, eating closer to the land, and rebuilding our connection with food, soil, and nature. This approach not only aids weight control but also helps prevent chronic disease, allowing the body to return to a more natural rhythm.
Further reading ▼
What health issues arise from skipping vegetables and wholegrains?
Which foods should you reduce to prevent chronic disease?
The Worry-Free Vegetable Shop | Nun Yiguo’s Community Kitchen
The closer to the soil, the further from the hospital: reflections on defying age at sixty
V. Recommendations for delicious and healthy recipes
Healthy eating can be absolutely delicious! In her column for Wicked Valley: Self-Sufficient Cooking, contributor Grandma Kouzi has shared a selection of simple, nutritious plant-based recipes. Let’s enjoy wholesome flavours while we slim down and lose weight!
Further Reading ▼
Slimming Down While Feasting During the New Year Celebrations ｜ Grandma Kouzi’s Food Views
The Master Chef Concealed in the Luffa | Grandma Kouzi’s Kitchen
Could Su Dongpo’s Go-To Dish for Guests Have Been This Quick Cook? | Grandma Kouzi’s Kitchen
Master a Bowl of Bean Soup Before Dreaming of “Ennoblement” | Grandma Kouzi
Editors: Mao Mao, Yu Yang