There are a lot of scientific studies out there addressing China and obesity. I want to be clear from the outset that I am neither a scientist nor a nutritionist. I of course understand that genetics plays a role in obesity, and Asian people on the whole may be less genetically predisposed to have issues with their weight.
While living in China, however, I did notice a pattern of eating and food culture that from a common sense perspective seems to help explain why I rarely ran into an overweight Chinese person in Guangzhou. I became even more convinced that these were some of the primary reasons for the difference in obesity levels upon returning to the United States.
These are some of the major differences in food culture between China and the United States that I notice:
1) For most people, shopping for food takes place at a market that is primarily fresh fruits and veggies, with limited meat and no processed foods.
Here are some shots of a typical market in many areas of China.
Most people, to this day, get food at a market like this every day or two. Basically, what in American we term “farmer’s market” is a regular market in China, except they take place every day and they are incredibly cheap. Notice what’s not there? Any processed foods. Or desserts. Meat, which is by far the most expensive thing there, is located on the sides while all the vegetables are in the middle.
This is basically the reverse of what Michael Pollan describes as the typical supermarket layout in the U.S. where processed, heavily marketed foods take center stage in the middle of the store and produce is relegated to the outer edges.
If I had to pick one thing from my daily life when I was in China full-time that I miss, it would DEFINITELY be my market. There’s just no comparison between an establishment like this and The Dollar Store around the corner in my Brooklyn hood when it comes to affordable, nutritious food. You just couldn’t help but buy healthy stuff, and goodness, was it cheap.
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