Free medical consultations organized for the aging population
There were 5.54 million people with registered residency aged 60 and above in Shanghai by the end of last year, covering 36.8 percent of the total, said the Shanghai Health Commission on Monday, the annual Chongyang Festival, a day dedicated to the elderly.
It showed that Shanghai has entered a serious aging stage.
The large elderly population imposes strong challenges to local medical services, chronic disease rehabilitation, elderly-care and financial support.
Free medical consultation is organized on Monday, at the Chongyang Festival, to promote health awareness among the elderly.
Health is the top concern for the elderly, said the commission, which organized a free medical consultation on Monday to promote health-care awareness, disease prevention and control, and simple health screenings.
Medical experts also ruled out many misunderstandings among the elderly, such as slimness being good for the elderly.
"It is a wrong theory. About 55 percent of people over 65 years old in China have malnutrition or the risk of malnutrition, which can impact immunity and deteriorate their underlying diseases," said Dr Gao Jian from Zhongshan Hospital's nutrition department.
"Proper and good muscle mass is important for the elderly, who should adopt a healthy and profound diet, which should be over 15 types per day and 22 types per week."
An elderly woman checks blood pressure during her consultation.
