By Patrick Holford
—
At the end of 2024, as part of Food for the brain international expansion, I was honoured to attend and speak at a conference creating a task force to ‘popularise prevention’ in the ‘silver-haired’ economy. I’d like to share excerpts from the speech given by China’s Former Minister of Health, Gao Qiang.
—
“Dear esteemed leaders, distinguished guests, and fellow advocates for the development of the silver economy. I am delighted to join you here in Nanjing to discuss the topic of high-quality development in the silver economy. In his earlier presentation, Mr Ai Bo, the General Manager of Xiangjia Group, categorised the living conditions of elderly individuals into four stages: early ageing, active ageing, semi-active ageing, and disabled ageing. I fully agree with Mr Ai’s perspective and commend his boldness, as a young entrepreneur, to invest in the silver industry. However, I have one small suggestion: the living conditions of elderly individuals should not be defined solely by age but rather by their actual health status. Take myself as an example—while my age has technically surpassed the “active” stage, I still feel full of energy”.
Earlier, Patrick Holford also mentioned five criteria for optimal health, which align closely with the “Five Forces” standard I previously proposed for active seniors: physical strength, energy, intelligence, financial resources, and charisma. Physical and mental strength pertain to health, financial resources reflect economic stability, and charisma is the comprehensive result of personal influence. The above represents my personal understanding of health standards for the elderly population.
This year, the State Council issued a key directive on the development of the Silver Economy. This is not the first time relevant Chinese authorities have introduced the concept. In 2021, the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Ageing Industry officially highlighted the importance of developing the silver economy.
China’s neighbour, Japan, as the country with the most serious ageing population in the world, and one of the first countries to enter an ageing society, proposed the concept of the silver economy as early as the 1970s. In 2008, the European Union also introduced and actively promoted the development of the silver economy. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Silver Economy is the most important issue at this stage in Asia and even globally. It is closely related to the duration and extent of a country’s ageing population. The more severe the ageing process, the more prominent the role of developing the silver economy. And now, the time for the development of the Silver Economy is just right.
A person with health does not necessarily have everything, but when health is lost, everything else is inevitably lost. This is especially true for the elderly, whose demand for health is even stronger. The decline in physical strength and energy is a natural process, and we cannot resist ageing, nor can we stop it. What we can do is slow it down, as this is an inevitable part of human development. The goal is to minimise illness in old age, prevent serious diseases, and promote long-term health and longevity. This represents the highest pursuit of health. Professor Chen Xiaobing’s interpretation of health is correct in the first part—‘health benefits longevity.’ However, I don’t entirely agree with the second part: ‘longevity does not necessarily mean health.’ Longevity without health is meaningless
I was impressed by Mr Holford’s closing remarks, where he stated that Western health maintenance mainly relies on medicine, but he hopes that in China, the primary means of maintaining health would focus on prevention—avoiding illness or preventing serious disease. Having recognised this, we must work even harder to implement and integrate this into all aspects of our work, especially in meeting the basic needs of the elderly—such as clothing, food, housing, transportation, and daily necessities.
I have conducted a systematic analysis on this, and the core lies in food and daily necessities. We have long passed the stage of food insecurity, and severe malnutrition resulting in physical damage is no longer a common issue. The focus now is on balance, even controlling nutritional excess and reducing obesity. Ensuring that the elderly eat nutritionally and beneficially is our primary goal. Achieving this requires collaborative research from multiple experts. Solely relying on doctors is not enough, as their advice is often limited to six simple words: ‘less salt, less oil, less sugar.’ But does reducing salt, oil, and sugar guarantee health? The answer is ‘no’; a balanced and reasonable diet is essential. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasises the idea that food and medicine come from the same source. In my discussions with related experts, I often stress that the concept of medicinal food is not enough on its own; it needs specific plans to support it. What kind of diet is beneficial for enhancing specific aspects of health? What kind of diet can enhance preventive effects? Only by addressing these questions can families across the country incorporate these dietary combinations and structures into their daily cooking.
Most people are familiar with healthy living, but its scientific basis is not always well understood.Among the five major tasks within the five key elements of building a Healthy China, the primary task is to promote healthy living. This is a prerequisite for preventing various functional diseases and maintaining long-term health. However, whether this goal has been initiated, implemented, and started to produce benefits remains uncertain. Practitioners in relevant fields, including enterprises involved in the silver economy, need to promptly correct misconceptions—medications are not the primary means of promoting the widespread adoption of healthy living. What plays a larger role are nutritional supplements, health products, and adjunctive treatments.
Mastering these techniques would support health, prevent disease, and promote long-term well-being. ‘Daily necessities’ is the most promising area for development. It includes not just daily living products but also health supplements, entertainment products, and age-friendly items, among others.
In conclusion, I hope that the Silver Economy will become a new focal point in China’s economic development, not only serving the elderly population in China but also contributing to the global silver population, showcasing China’s wisdom and spirit of dedication to the world, bringing blessings to all.”
Speech by China’s Former Minister of Health, Gao Qiang.
Patrick Holford with President of the China National Health Association, Wu YingPing (to the left) , former Vice Minister of Health, Zhang Fenglou, and former Minister of Health, Gao Qiang (to the right)
__
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if our health ministers were talking and thinking in this way?
We are on the brink of shifting from a drug-focused model to one centered on true prevention through optimal nutrition It is an exciting time.
Will you join us in our mission of making prevention the primary focus?
This paradigm shift first needs to start in your own body and home, so here is how you can begin
—
Food for the Brain is a not-for-profit educational and research charity that offers a free Cognitive Function Test and assesses your Dementia Risk Index to be able to advise you on how to dementia-proof your diet and lifestyle.
By completing the Cognitive Function Test you are joining our grassroots research initiative to find out what really works for preventing cognitive decline. We share our ongoing research results with you to help you make brain-friendly choices.
Please support our research by becoming a Friend of Food for the Brain.
