A doctor's inspirational journey from being overweight to prize-winning bodybuilder

From an overweight medical worker to a prize-winning bodybuilder, a Chinese doctor in Wuhan has shown how perseverance and a healthy physical exercise routine can pay off in an inspirational way.

Wu Tiangen, a 31-year-old doctor at the Center for Obesity and Metabolic Diseases in the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Division at Wuhan University's Zhongnan Hospital, specializes in treating patients with obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases. He also tailors treatment plans based on each patient's specific needs.

"I perform surgeries on Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week, with around four to five procedures each day. On Tuesday and Thursday when I don't do surgeries, I make the rounds of the wards and do some related administrative work," Wu said.

Despite his professional expertise in weight loss, Wu had struggled with his own weight which at one point reached nearly 100 kilograms.

Obesity not only caused him physical discomfort but also left him feel unqualified as a doctor when interacting with his patients.

After making up his mind about losing weight, Wu set himself an ambitious goal -- he signed himself up for a bodybuilding competition, aiming to shed pounds as quickly as possible.

Through 42 days of rigorous training, Wu, who stands at 1.82 meters, managed to reduce his weight from 97.5 kilograms to 73.5 kilograms. In the bodybuilding competition in January this year, he won four titles, which was quite an impressive accomplishment.

"Through this competition and preparation process, I saw the best version of myself I had never known. Every time I looked in the mirror, I would be amazed by my great shape, high spirits and rippled body, all of which the best I could think of. I felt such positive energy that it has driven me to keep building my body and give myself even better looks," Wu shared.

Outside his busy 10-plus-hour work days, Wu has stuck to his workout routines and healthy lifestyle, aiming to maintain a good shape as best as he can.

Wu's tale is among many other successful stories of people in China who have taken a weight-losing journey in pursuit of a healthier life.

China is now facing a growing obesity challenge. According to a 2020 report from the National Health Commission (NHC), 34.3 percent of the country's adults were overweight, and 16.4 percent were obese. Research predicts that by 2030, the rates of overweight and obesity among Chinese adults could rise to 65.3 percent.

Minors are also increasingly affected by weight issues. Currently, approximately 19 percent of individuals aged 6 to 17, and 10.4 percent of children under 6, are overweight or obese.

In response, the NHC has announced plans to establish more weight management clinics at medical and health facilities, aiming to help people lose weight safely and adopt healthier lifestyles.

A doctor's inspirational journey from being overweight to prize-winning bodybuilder

A doctor's inspirational journey from being overweight to prize-winning bodybuilder

A doctor's inspirational journey from being overweight to prize-winning bodybuilder

Dense fog and icy conditions have forced the closure of major expressways in multiple provincial-level regions across China since Friday morning.

At 12:00 on Friday, traffic control measures, including closures, remained in effect on 16 sections of national and provincial trunk roads in Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Xinjiang. Among these, two sections had their mainlines closed, while toll stations on 14 sections were shut.

Starting from the early hours of Friday, multiple areas in Dezhou City of Shandong Province experienced dense fog, with Xiajin, Pingyuan and Yucheng reporting visibility less than 100 meters.

In parts of Xiajin, visibility dropped below 50 meters, prompting local meteorological authorities to issue a red alert for dense fog.

Affected by the fog, temporary control measures were implemented on some expressways within Dezhou, with multiple entrances closed. Traffic police strengthened presence at service areas, entrances and exits of expressways to ensure road safety.

So far, all expressway entrances and exits in Dezhou have resumed normal operation.

Many areas in Hebei also experienced dense fog, with visibility less than 200 meters in eastern Baoding, western Cangzhou, Xingtai, and eastern Handan in the province. Some localities even reported visibility below 50 meters.

Shortly after 6:00, the Hebei Provincial Meteorological Observatory issued an orange alert for dense fog.

From 23:00 on Thursday to Friday morning, over 10 key routes in Hebei, including the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao, Beijing-Kunming, Daqing-Guangzhou, Tianjin-Shijiazhuang, and Qingdao-Lanzhou expressways, were affected by dense fog.

Expressway traffic police closed some toll stations along these expressways according to fog conditions, and activated traffic diversion points to divert vehicles.

By 10:00 Friday, as visibility improved, some toll stations resumed operation.

On expressway sections with insufficient visibility, traffic police used patrol cars to lead and control the speed of vehicles, guiding stranded traffic to pass through orderly and safely.

Additionally, due to snowfall and icy road surfaces, control measures were taken on 28 expressway sections in Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Xinjiang. Among them, the mainlines of 14 sections were closed, while toll gates were shut on the other 14 ones.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a blue alert for snowfall on Friday morning, with parts of Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Gansu expected to be hit by heavy snow.

Foggy, icy weather forces road closure across China