Hangzhou to enact China's first local health promotion law

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, is set to become the country's first city to introduce dedicated local legislation on health promotion when a new regulation placing weight management at the heart of public health governance takes effect on Jan 1.

City officials announced the regulation to promote public health at a news briefing on Thursday, saying it marks a shift from policy advocacy to legally binding, system-wide health governance.

Comprising 10 chapters and 54 articles, the regulation covers seven categories, including health services, health security, healthy environments, healthy lifestyles, health impact assessments, the health industry, and the use of digital technology in healthcare.

One of its most closely watched features is a dedicated focus on weight management — a topic that has moved rapidly up the national public health agenda.

The regulation encourages residents to improve their health literacy, adopt balanced diets, engage in regular physical activity, and manage their weight scientifically.

On the dietary front, health authorities are required to regularly monitor residents' nutritional status and design targeted nutrition intervention plans for key groups, including minors and older adults.

Kindergartens, schools, elderly care institutions, hospitals, and student meal delivery companies must be equipped with qualified nutritionists or nutrition instructors, who will receive regular professional training.

Physical activity is the other pillar. Municipal and district governments are tasked with formulating and implementing national fitness plans and expanding public sports facilities in line with urban planning requirements.

Primary and secondary schools are required to open their sports facilities to the public free of charge outside teaching hours, with the government providing subsidies to participating schools.

According to Fang Jianguo, Party secretary and director of Hangzhou's health commission, a recent survey showed that the age-standardized rates of overweight and obesity among adults in the city stand at 30 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively.

While both figures are lower than the provincial and national averages, Fang said they still fall within a range that requires systematic intervention and sustained improvement.

"The regulation responds to emerging health challenges and moves prevention further upstream," Fang said at the briefing.