I’ve recently updated my popular Food Safety presentation after presenting at the US Embassy, so I’d like to share it with a larger audience. You can watch the entire slide show below, full screen and without downloading, by clicking on the 全屏 button on the top right.
Hi Dr. Richard, I’m looking for a good water supplier. Would it be possible for you to post the contact info of Beijing Kangtai Gaoke Co.? I’m not quite ready to install a water filter at home yet but I still don’t want to drink water filled with toxins from melting plastic.
Sorry, I don’t know! But I bet if you use Baidu.com and start typing that in, the Chinese characters will pop up — Baidu does great with Pinyin. If you find out, please share with us!
Sorry, I don’t know! But I bet if you use Baidu.com and start typing that in, the Chinese characters will pop up — Baidu does great with Pinyin. If you find out, please share with us!
The contact numbers I found for Beijing Kangtai Gaoke Co. 北京康泰高科有限公司 are 010-59480735, 010-65016685, 13521894564, 010-85782328, 010-65016685. Hope this helps.
Hi Dr. Richard, I am moving to Beijing in the end of August for a year and was wondering what you think of the pollution there? Have you experienced any health problems? Do you suggest wearing a mask the majority of the time?
Hello, Beijing is definitely much more polluted than California. Compared to Washington DC, Southern California is dustier and more polluted, but it’s still much better than Beijing. The air quality in Beijing or China in general has always been a concern, but you should be fine if you only stay there for a year. However, you may expect (not serious ones though, hopefully) illness during your transition. As long as your body gets used to the local environment, your immune system will be much stronger than that of your pals here at home.
Some local residents do wear masks but you may not see many. So I’d say “no” to your mask question. You don’t need to wear it most of the time. However, it would be a great idea to wear a mask when it gets smoggy, which unfortunately happens from time to time. But you will be able to breath fresh air in Beijing too.
If you are afraid of the air pollution there, you may want to change your plan. But if your goal is to gain different experience from at home, Beijing is definitely a place you should go explore, despite its unpredictable weather/air quality. It could be life-changing experience, just like CBS’s “The Survivors.” 🙂
Good luck and hopefully, you will enjoy your time there. 😀
Good answer, thanks! But I disagree on a couple points. First, I think you can spend a lot more than one year here and be perfectly healthy — with proper precautions. As for masks, I think they should be considered for anyone healthy or ill, short term or long term, when the pollution is bad (AQI over 200).
I’m mostly a big fan of indoor air purifiers, especially in the bedroom, for anyone here for more than a few months.
Good answer, thanks! But I disagree on a couple points. First, I think you can spend a lot more than one year here and be perfectly healthy — with proper precautions. As for masks, I think they should be considered for anyone healthy or ill, short term or long term, when the pollution is bad (AQI over 200).
I’m mostly a big fan of indoor air purifiers, especially in the bedroom, for anyone here for more than a few months.
Hello Dr. Cyr, thanks for your message. I’m actually a native Chinese and spent over 26 years in China. I agree that we can be “perfectly healthy” as long as we take precautionary measures such as exercises, healthy diet, good mood and so on (of course including wearing a mask). I had no health issues when I first came to the States, but it’s not the same case to most of my American friends, including one organizers of the Beijing Health Forum where you did a presentation last week (I wish I could be there). Most of my American friends encountered health problems when they first landed in China. Some even complained to me that they could hardly breathe as soon as they got off the plane from the United States.
To Willardb,
I love outdoor sports and walked at least 40 mins to commute from my office to the metro station every day. During my one year stay in Beijing, I never wore a mask, not even once. But it would be a good idea to follow Dr. Cyr’s advice about masks and air purifiers, because that better fit people who come from developed countries where the air quality is way better.
I have to say most Chinese have developed a stronger immune system than westerners at some level in that they have spent years in a polluted environment. Although most of my American friends got sickness, they quickly recovered after taking proper treatment, and all of them said they enjoyed their experience there regardless of days they stayed.
As Dr. Cyr said, you don’t need to worry about health problem for now if you take precautions. Success is always for people who are prepared. But I’d suggest that you get connected with some American professionals who just got to China and ask for more advice.
Hope you will enjoy your trip. 🙂
I wish I could agree with your assertion that “most Chinese have developed a stronger immune system than westerners”. It’s a fascinating idea that many people believe, but I’ve never seen any actual evidence that this is true. Have you? Wishful thinking, I suppose! There’s certainly no epidemiological evidence that Chinese have stronger immune systems which would imply better health, i.e. less deaths or longer lives. Unfortunately China’s deaths are already from chronic “western lifestyle” diseases, and cancer rates continue to climb…
I wish I could agree with your assertion that “most Chinese have developed a stronger immune system than westerners”. It’s a fascinating idea that many people believe, but I’ve never seen any actual evidence that this is true. Have you? Wishful thinking, I suppose! There’s certainly no epidemiological evidence that Chinese have stronger immune systems which would imply better health, i.e. less deaths or longer lives. Unfortunately China’s deaths are already from chronic “western lifestyle” diseases, and cancer rates continue to climb…
I should have made it clear in my message that the immune system thing is actually a sarcasm in a response to the public’s concerns regarding food/product safety. One of my former colleagues, a senior GR expert used to tease the nation: “Chinese have the strongest immune system in the world, which means they are so used to food/product problems and are now immune to poor-quality and tainted food.” So my point is to support your argument that all precautionary measures should be taken into consideration no matter where you go. And especially in China, Americans who’ve never been to developing countries should be cautious but shouldn’t feel overwhelmed in the meantime. 🙂
Thanks. I actually do hear many people not being ironic like yourself, who think that this exposure actually does boost their immune system…
Thanks. I actually do hear many people not being ironic like yourself, who think that this exposure actually does boost their immune system…