An obese boy enjoys a buffet dinner in a mansion in Beijing on May, 29th, 2007. [File Photo: Chinanews]

The number of overweight or obese children in China's big cities is rampantly increasing at a rate of about one in five on average, the Chinanews.com reports.

This is the latest warning message from a stimulas package on health education that was launched in Beijing on Monday.

Mao Qun'an, director of the China Health Education Centre that was in charge of the package, says that big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have become the obesity-stricken areas in China, with the number of fat or overweight urban young population rising at an average of 12 to 15 percent every year over the past five years.

Experts attribute the problem to bad eating habits plus a lack of proper health knowledge and say obese children are taking more calorie-rich junk food while exercising less. Some cases of genetic obesity are also attributed to super-nutrition of mothers during pregnancy.

Obesity brings about many health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver, stroke, heart attack, and other diseases that increasingly impact people's lives.

Being overweight is not only a health problem, but also an obstacle for children in society, health experts added. Obese or overweight children may often be prejudiced against or laughed at by others, which may make the problem even worse.

Although medicine is one choice, experts view a healthier lifestyle is the best way to solve overweight problems. They suggest that schools provide more opportunities and facilities for students to exercise so they can develop healthy habits from the outset.