In China, Managing Your Weight Is Becoming Part of the Law

Chinese cities are beginning to write personal weight management into law, a novel step in the country’s campaign to combat a surge in obesity and the heavy burden of chronic disease it has placed on society.

The eastern city of Hangzhou will implement a new health promotion ordinance on January 1, 2026, that explicitly calls on residents to “scientifically manage their weight.” Similar language was written into a law that took effect this October in the southwestern province of Sichuan, urging individuals to “consciously conduct weight monitoring.”