Improved human well-being is one of the modern era’s greatest triumphs. The age of plenty has also led to an unexpected global health crisis: two billion people are either overweight or obese. Developed countries have been especially susceptible to unhealthy weight gain, a trend that could be considered the price of abundance. However, developing countries are now facing a similar crisis.
改善人類健康是現(xiàn)代最偉大的成就之一。富足的時代也帶來了意想不到的全球健康危機(jī)：20億人超重或肥胖。發(fā)達(dá)國家尤其易受不健康體重增加的影響，這種傾向被視為富足的代價。然而，發(fā)展中國家現(xiàn)在正面臨著相似的危機(jī)。
Obesity rates have plateaued in high income countries but are accelerating elsewhere. The combined findings of UNICEF, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank showed that in 2016 Asia was home to half the world’s overweight children. One quarter were in Africa.
肥胖率在高收入國家已趨平穩(wěn)，但在其他地方仍不斷上升。聯(lián)合國教科文組織、世界衛(wèi)生組織和世界銀行聯(lián)合調(diào)查的結(jié)果顯示：2016年，全世界的超重兒童有一半在亞洲，1/4在非洲。
Residents of developing nation cities are increasingly susceptible to obesity, particularly amid the megatrends of urbanisation, globalisation, and industrialisation of food supply. According to India’s National Institute of Nutrition, over a quarter of urban-dwelling men and nearly half of women are overweight.
發(fā)展中國家的居民越來越容易肥胖，尤其是在城市化、全球化和食品供應(yīng)工業(yè)化的大趨勢之下。據(jù)印度國家營養(yǎng)局統(tǒng)計，城市居民中，超過1/4男性和將近一半的女性體重超標(biāo)。
The majority of the world’s future urbanization is projected to occur in developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa. As rural dwellers move to urban areas, easy access to cheap and convenient processed foods lures them into unhealthy diets.
世界上大部分的未來城市化預(yù)計發(fā)生在發(fā)展中國家，特別是在亞洲和非洲。隨著村民涌入城市，容易獲得的廉價、方便的加工食品誘使他們形成不健康的飲食方式。
This crisis will test the political resolve of governments that have historically focused on ending hunger. These governments must understand that the factors making cities convenient and productive also make their residents prone to obesity. Intelligent, focused policies are needed to effectively manage this emerging crisis.
對于一度致力于解決饑餓問題的一些國家政府來說，這場危機(jī)將會考驗其政治決心。這些國家必須明白，那些讓城市生活更加便捷和高效的因素也會讓居民更易過度肥胖。要解決這場新出現(xiàn)的危機(jī)，需要智慧和有針對性的政策。
Urbanites enjoy a variety of culinary options, ranging from aisles of processed goods in supermarkets to scores of short-order street vendors. Additionally, international fast foodchains are flourishing in developing countries. This is shifting dietary habits away from healthier traditional fare and towards fried foods and sugary drinks.
從超市的加工食品到街邊快餐，城市居民在吃的方面有多種多樣的選擇。此外，全球速食產(chǎn)業(yè)鏈也在發(fā)展中國家蓬勃發(fā)展。這就使人們的飲食習(xí)慣從選擇傳統(tǒng)的健康食物，轉(zhuǎn)變成了油炸食品和含糖飲料。
The health risks of such diets are compounded by the sedentary lifestyles of urban dwellers. The most recent Indian nutrition survey found that city-dwelling men and women work an averageof roughly eight hours a day. Most are engaged in sedentary office jobs. Onlyabout one quarter exercise.
城市居民久坐不動的生活方式和這些飲食習(xí)慣一起構(gòu)成了健康威脅。最近一次的印度營養(yǎng)調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，城市居民平均每天工作8個小時，大多數(shù)都坐在辦公室里工作，其中只有約1/4會鍛煉身體。
People’s leisure time is also being monopolised by passive diversions like television, movies, and video games in the growing number of households able to afford such technologies.
對于可以承擔(dān)起新技術(shù)產(chǎn)品支出的人群來說，業(yè)余時間正被消極的消遣所占據(jù)，例如看電視、看電影、玩電腦游戲。
The alarming implication of these trends is that developing countries may become sick before they get rich. That sickness may, in turn, cripple health systems.
這些趨勢中值得注意的影響是，發(fā)展中國家未富先病。反過來，這些病痛也可能摧毀國家的健康體系。
The yearly health care costs in Southeast Asia of obesity-related complications like diabetes and cardiovascular disease are already as high as US $10 billion. Obesity among China’s younger generation could cost US $724 billion in medical treatment by 2030. Such diseases are an added burden on countries already struggling to manage primary health care needs.
在東南亞國家，每年用在諸如糖尿病、心血管疾病的肥胖并發(fā)癥上的醫(yī)保開銷就已經(jīng)高達(dá)100億美元。到2030年，在中國的年輕人中，用于治療過度肥胖的花銷可能高達(dá)7240億美元。對于仍在努力滿足初步醫(yī)療保健需要的國家來說，這類疾病是額外的負(fù)擔(dān)。
Policies related to taxation, urban design, education and awareness and the promotion of localised food systems may help control obesity at a lower cost than eventual medical treatment for an ageing and increasingly overweight population.
制定涉及稅收、城市規(guī)劃、教育、公眾意識的政策，推動本土化的食物生產(chǎn)體系，或許能夠控制肥胖問題，成本比以后為肥胖老年人治療更低。
Some governments have already experimented with direct interventions to control obesity, such as taxation on unhealthy foods and drinks. The US pioneered the soda tax movement. Thailand, Brunei, and Singapore have adopted similar measures. South Africa is likely to introduce a sugar tax beginning in April 2018.
一些國家的政府已經(jīng)試行直接干預(yù)控制過度肥胖，如對不健康的食品和飲料征稅。美國率先試行蘇打稅。泰國、文萊、新加坡也已經(jīng)采取了相似的政策。南非可能會在2018年4月開始加征糖稅。
Regulatory approaches have not stopped at taxation – or at sugar. In the United Kingdom, advertising rules prohibit the marketing of foods high in fat, salt and sugar to children younger than 16.
控制措施不止于征稅，也不止于糖。在英國，廣告條例規(guī)定禁止向16歲以下的兒童推銷脂肪、鹽和糖含量高的食品。
The city of Berkeley in California recognises that taxes alone are not enough to address obesity. Proceeds from the city’s sugar tax are used to support child nutrition and community health programmes. This underscores the importance of education and awareness.
加里福尼亞州伯克利市意識到，征稅本身并不足以解決肥胖問題。伯克利市糖稅征來的款項都用作支援兒童營養(yǎng)和社區(qū)健康項目。
There is also promise in many initiatives. Urban design holds significant power to reshape lifestyle patterns and public health. Improving the attractiveness of public space, the “walkability” of neighbourhoods and the quality of cycling infrastructure can draw residents out of their cars and living rooms.
很多舉措也顯露希望。例如，城市規(guī)劃在重塑人們的生活方式和公眾健康方面就能發(fā)揮重要作用。提高公共區(qū)域的吸引力，建造更多可以行走的場地，提升公用基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的質(zhì)量，可以吸引居民打開車門、走出家門。
A recent study of urban neighbourhoods in Shanghai and Hangzhou found that middle-income residents living in less walkable neighbourhoods had significantly higher Body Mass Indices than both richer and poorer residents who lived in walkable neighbourhoods in urban China.
最近在上海和杭州所做的一次調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，在中國城市居民中，居住在步行區(qū)較少的中等收入人群身體質(zhì)量指數(shù)高于比居住在適宜步行的地區(qū)者，無論收入高低。
Finally, healthier lifestyles begin in grocery store aisles. Governments should encourage tighter connections between agricultural production systems, urban grocers and food vendors. Relationships with farmers in areas immediately adjacent to cities, in addition to the promotion of urban gardens, have been popular approaches in the US.
最后，健康生活方式也是從貨架開始的。政府應(yīng)該鼓勵農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)系統(tǒng)、城市食品商和糧食商販建立更加緊密的聯(lián)系。與緊鄰城市區(qū)域內(nèi)的農(nóng)場主建立聯(lián)系，以及興建城市花園，在美國已經(jīng)成為頗受大眾歡迎的方式。
Such initiatives can also help urban residents better understand the mechanics of food sourcing. This raises awareness about the relationship between natural foods and healthy lifestyles. Even the preservation of culture around traditional foods can promote healthy alternatives.
這些措施也可以幫助城市居民更好地理解食品來源，讓大眾意識到天然食物和健康生活方式的關(guān)系。甚至，保留關(guān)于傳統(tǒng)食物的文化本身都可以促進(jìn)人們選擇健康的食物。
Combining controls on unhealthy foods with policies that incentivise healthy eating and active lifestyles constitute a promising response to rising obesity rates. Addressing public health is a policy mandate for developing countries from both an economic and social point of view. To quote the recent Global Nutrition Report, addressing obesity is a global imperative for releasing the brakes on development.
把對不健康食物的控制措施和鼓勵健康飲食、積極生活方式的政策結(jié)合起來，這是對不斷提升的肥胖率的一個很好的解決方法。解決公眾健康問題對于發(fā)展中國家在經(jīng)濟(jì)方面和社會方面都是必須采取的政策。引用最近的全球營養(yǎng)報告來說，要想清除發(fā)展道路上的阻礙，解決肥胖問題在全球都勢在必行。
