More sports and proper diet can treat most small concerns, experts say

More than 60 percent of all Beijingers are suffering from minor health concerns that can be treated through exercise and diet, a medical report said Friday.

This statistic was included in a comprehensive report composed of physical examinations by the Beijing physical examination center - a building that offers documented check-ups for employment and visa purposes - and 25 hospitals over the past 10 years.

To give an idea of the numbers involved, the center revealed that about 5.75 million people received physical examinations in 2008 alone. However, total numbers over the 10-year period were not stated.

Only 6 percent of Beijingers are in perfect health, Du Bing, director of the center, wrote in the release.

"The number of local people suffering from high blood cholesterol and blood sugar, obesity, or chronic problems like pharyngitis is increasing," Du said. And the causes are obvious, according to a Beijing clinical dietitian.

"The public diet now contains more fat and sugar, which has increased the likelihood of getting high blood sugar and obesity," said Chen Wei, from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Du said that the number of cancer sufferers has grown in recent years. Eighty-six patients were diagnosed with cancer from the 77,000 people tested in the center last year, with liver cancer ranking top. The figures were not representative of the total however, due to the nature of the exams conducted in the center.

At least 70,000 people died in Beijing in 2008. Cancer accounted for 25 percent of them, the Beijing health bureau said in a report last year. But the lethal status of the disease is now changing.

"With the development of medical technology, cancer is no longer a death sentence. Diagnosing the disease early through physical examinations is the best way to save your life," Du said.

He announced that 95 percent of breast cancer patients can survive if they receive surgery early. This costs 10,000 yuan on average.

A teacher surnamed Tang, 25, was one such breast cancer patient who went under the knife in December. She said her physical examination brought the danger to her attention early enough to be handled.