China has said it is waging a war against childhood and adolescent obesity, addressing it as a "critical public health issue" that threatens the physical and psychological health of young people.

Six ministries and commissions, including the National Health Commission, Ministry of Education and the General Administration of Sport, issued a joint notice on Friday, urging subordinate local departments to tackle the threat.

With the nation's rapid economic and social development, living conditions of the Chinese people have been improved remarkably but the dietary structures and lifestyles of adolescents have also changed significantly.

Meanwhile, time for sports and exercise has been squeezed as the academic burden grows and the use of electronic devices proliferates. As a result, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes are on the rise among teenagers, the notice from the government ministries and agencies said.

It asks all parties involved, including parents, schools, medical institutions and the government to take their responsibilities in different sectors to jointly safeguard the health of the next generation.

Parents were also advised to help children and adolescents form healthy dietary patterns and cultivate sports routines, as well as monitor their health conditions in real-time.

Schools were also told to guarantee sports breaks.  

Children at kindergartens should have not less than two hours of outdoor exercise unless there is bad weather. Elementary and middle school students should spend at least one hour per day on sports.

Medical institutions should help children and adolescents in their weight management, while at the same time join hands with schools and parents in offering help to those with overweight and obesity problems.

The government should provide a supportive environment and policies, the notice said, such as popularize scientific knowledge about a healthy diet among students, strengthen the management of food advertising and provide more facilitates for sports.

It is expected that exercise locations, including sports courts and parks, will be open for free to young people to encourage them to get more exercise.

The notice has also set a goal in adolescent obesity control: The average increase of adolescent overweight and obesity rate should be down by 70 percent during the next 10 years compared to that of 2002-2017.