Research Article

Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches

Volume: 16 Number: 1 March 10, 2026
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Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches

Abstract

This research evaluates four forecasting models—Gompertz, Logistic, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)—to project adult obesity prevalence in China from 1975 to 2016. Model performance was assessed using R², MSE, RMSE, and SSE measures based on World Health Organisation data. The results indicated a continuous and nonlinear increase in obesity, mirroring China's swift urbanisation, economic development, and dietary changes. The Logistic model attained the maximum accuracy (R² = 0.9997; RMSE = 0.0312), accurately depicting the sigmoidal progression of obesity. The Gompertz model (R² = 0.9961) effectively represented asymmetric long-term growth, whereas the ARIMA model (R² = 0.8098) excelled in short-term forecasting but inadequately depicted nonlinear dynamics. The LSTM model (R² = 0.8199; RMSE = 0.0582) exhibited robust adaptability and temporal learning, as validated by five-fold cross-validation. Research indicates that obesity in China has not yet attained saturation, highlighting the necessity for immediate and evidence-based health treatments. The amalgamation of interpretable growth models with adaptive deep-learning architectures establishes a formidable hybrid framework for predicting chronic disease trends and facilitating evidence-based public health interventions.

Keywords

Adult obesity, Growth curves, Time series, Forecasting, China

References

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APA
Çolak, H. (2026). Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches. Karadeniz Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 16(1), 475-496. https://doi.org/10.31466/kfbd.1713450
AMA
1.Çolak H. Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches. KFBD. 2026;16(1):475-496. doi:10.31466/kfbd.1713450
Chicago
Çolak, Halil. 2026. “Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches”. Karadeniz Fen Bilimleri Dergisi 16 (1): 475-96. https://doi.org/10.31466/kfbd.1713450.
EndNote
Çolak H (March 1, 2026) Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches. Karadeniz Fen Bilimleri Dergisi 16 1 475–496.
IEEE
[1]H. Çolak, “Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches”, KFBD, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 475–496, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.31466/kfbd.1713450.
ISNAD
Çolak, Halil. “Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches”. Karadeniz Fen Bilimleri Dergisi 16/1 (March 1, 2026): 475-496. https://doi.org/10.31466/kfbd.1713450.
JAMA
1.Çolak H. Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches. KFBD. 2026;16:475–496.
MLA
Çolak, Halil. “Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches”. Karadeniz Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, vol. 16, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 475-96, doi:10.31466/kfbd.1713450.
Vancouver
1.Halil Çolak. Modelling Adult Obesity in China From 1975 to 2016: A Comparative Analysis of Growth Curves and Time Series Approaches. KFBD. 2026 Mar. 1;16(1):475-96. doi:10.31466/kfbd.1713450