The Press Conference of the State Council Information Office

Abstract

Part I The Background 1. The objective and significance of this Survey The nutrition and health status of people is an important indicator for the economy and social development, health care level and the population diathesis of a country or region. Good nutrition and health status not only forms the foundation for the social and economic development, but is also the goal of the country's social and economic development. Many countries in the world in particular the advanced countries, have been conducting regular surveys on the status of nutrition and health among the people, with survey results being released in time, and based on the survey results, relevant social development policies have been formulated and evaluated accordingly in a view to improve the status of nutrition and health among the people and to promote the coordinated development of social economy. In China, three national surveys on nutrition were conducted respectively in 1959, 1982 and 1992, three national epidemiological surveys on hypertension were conducted respectively in 1959, 1979 and 1991, and two sampled surveys on diabetes were conducted respectively in 1984 and 1996. The above surveys have played positive roles in: understanding the current dietary patterns and nutrition level of the urban and rural residents in China, and the epidemiological characteristics and trends of the relevant chronic diseases; evaluating the nutrition and health status of the urban and rural population; and formulating the relevant policies and disease prevention strategies. In the past ten years, rapid social & economic development in China has on the one hand, provided the economic and physical foundation in eliminating malnutrition and improving the health of the people, on the other hand, has resulted in changes in the dietary patterns, lifestyles and the disease patterns among the Chinese population. In 12