China is looking after its obese residents and those who are predisposed to chronic health problems. In an attempt to curb the number of its unhealthy people, the Chinese government has launched a healthy food campaign that primarily seeks to provide better food options.

According to Yibida, the Chinese government, particularly its health authority, along with the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) launched an advocacy that aims to promote healthy meal options to Chinese citizens, especially to those who are at risk of developing chronic diseases and are already overweight.

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The campaign seeks to promote balanced diet and according to health officials, citizens should consume a quarter kilogram of fruits and at least half a kilo of vegetables on a daily basis.

The campaign will be launched in a number of cities, including: Beijing, Chengdu in Sichuan Province, Guangzhou in Guangdong Province and Shanghai, as per the official statement released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC).

The campaign comes after a study has found that in 100,000 residents, 553 due of chronic illnesses in 2012. This accounts for 86.6% of all deaths in the said year, Food Navigator-Asia has learned.

Researchers at the time found that the main reason why the incidence of chronic disease increased was due to the unhealthy diets of Chinese citizens that included the excessive use of salt and fat.

Other factors cited by the report were over-drinking, smoking and insufficient physical activity.

The study was based on data collected by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Center and other health institutes. 

As of late, approximately 300 million Chinese people are obese, and the ACJA and the NHFPC want the figure to plummet as soon as possible. 

In relation to the food campaign, China's health food industry is also being strengthened. In 2013, a huge demand for health foods led to a total of RMB140 billion of sales.

The health food industry is composed of several categories, such as traditional nutrition health food, dietary supplements, children's supplements and weight management food, among others, reports Business Wire. 

The health food industry is expecting the sales to skyrocket to RMB300 billion by 2019.

Tagsfood, campaign, obesity, chronic diseases