In China, 19.4% of children aged 7-18 years were overweight or obese in 2014, up from just 2.6% in 1995, according to the Obesity Report for China published by multiple Chinese organizations, including the Institute of Child and Adolescent Health at Peking University. What is the Definition for Overweight and Obesity for Children? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), children aged 5–19 years are considered overweight if their body-mass index (BMI, weight divided by height squared), is greater than one standard deviation above the median, which is equivalent to a BMI of 25 at 19 years old. Children aged 5–19 are considered obese if their BMI is greater than two standard deviation above the WHO Growth Reference median, equivalent to a BMI of 30 at 19 years old. How Many Children are Overweight and Obese in China? The Obesity Report for China suggests 19.4% children aged 7-18 years were overweight or obese in 2014 (with 12.2% being overweight and 7.3% being obese, respectively), compared to just 2.6% in 1985 (with 2.1% being overweight and 0.5% being obese, respectively). [caption id="attachment_85152" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Source: Institute of Child and Adolescent Health at Peking University[/caption]   The study also estimates the percentage of children aged 7-18 years who are overweight or obese will reach 22.3% in 2020 (with 13.8% being overweight and 8.5% being obese, respectively) and 28.0% in 2030 (with 17.3% being overweight and 10.7% being obese, respectively). What are the Potential Causes of Increasing Number of Children Being Overweight and Obese China’s families have more income, and so are able to spend more on food. Annual per-person expenditure on food in China for urban households increased from ¥693.8 (around $103.5) in 1990 to ¥7,001.0 (around $1,044.8) in 2017, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics. [caption id="attachment_85153" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China[/caption]   Children in China are less physically active than they used to be: Around 24% of 13-18 year old respondents to a study by the Chinese Social Science Academy and Tencent said they spent approximately 2-4 hours per day surfing the Internet. There is also a cultural factor: For some people in China, obesity suggests “good fortune” and is a symbol of wealth. This is especially true for older generations who grew up in poverty when food was scarce. Many families have grandparents live with them to take care of the children while the parents go to work. Some 53.2% of grandparents in Shenzhen were taking care of their grandchildren, according to a study Blue Book of Society-building 2017 Edition published by Beijing University of Technology. Grandparents play a big role in deciding what children eat, and tend to urge their grandchildren to eat more meals and larger portions. Implications for the Fashion Industry The increasing proportion of overweight and obese children in China means there is a growing market for children’s plus-size clothing. In 2019, the children’s wear market in China is expected to be worth ¥240.7 billion (around $35.9 billion), according to Euromonitor International. Retailers will have to respond to this change by designing and introducing plus size products to cater to customers’ needs. We estimate the market for larger children’s clothing in China will be worth approximately ¥61 billion (approximately $9.1 billion) by 2020, based on the abovementioned forecast for the proportion of children being overweight and obese by 2020, and the forecast for total children’s wear sales in China, shown below. Within this total, an estimated ¥23 billion ($3.5 billion) of clothing sales will be accounted for by children classified as obese. [caption id="attachment_85154" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Children’s wear includes baby and toddler wear, boys' clothing and girls' clothing (age 0–14 years)
Source: Euromonitor International [/caption]   Key Insights Increasing number of children aged 7-18 years are overweight or obese in China. Growing affluence, more time spent in front of digital devices and cultural notions on obesity are likely to have contributed to the increase. The growing population of overweight or obese children represents an opportunity for children’s plus-size clothing in China.