15.3 Billion Health Reads on Toutiao: China's First National Fitness Big Data Report Released

15.3 billion views: Annual health information readership equals China’s total outpatient visits over two years. This figure was announced today at the “2016 Suan Shu Health Conference,” jointly hosted by Toutiao and Life Times, with co-organization by Huao Starlink. The data revealed that Toutiao’s 600 million users generated 15.3 billion health-related reads, with hypertension emerging as the most closely watched disease. The conference also marked the inaugural release of big data on fitness trends among Chinese residents, with running claiming the top spot in public interest.

Toutiao: 15.3 Billion Health-Related Reads in One Year, Equivalent to China’s Total Outpatient Visits Over Two Years

The latest data shows that there are a total of 12,715 health-focused Toutiao accounts, with self-media outlets constituting the main force, accounting for nearly 70%. Over the past year, the number of self-media accounts has increased from 2,128 to 8,381, representing a nearly threefold growth. Despite this significant increase, the threshold for operating health-related Toutiao accounts remains high. Many medical teams have joined the platform; for instance, the “Xinghuadao” Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner team from Shanxi Province published an article on their Toutiao account, which prompted some readers to travel specifically from Dongguan to Shanxi to seek consultations with them.

So, how many views did the 600 million users of Toutiao generate in a year? 15,298,758,300! According to data released this year by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the total number of outpatient visits at medical and health institutions across China reached 7.7 billion in 2015. This means that the annual volume of health-related content views on Toutiao is equivalent to two years’ worth of national outpatient visits. If calculated against Beijing’s total outpatient visits last year, which amounted to 235.016 million, it would represent over 60 years’ worth of outpatient visits.

According to statistics, these reading figures are derived from nearly 1.25 million articles, with the number of user bookmarks approaching 200 million.

Ear Cleaning: A Seemingly Simple Task, But Are You Doing It Right? A video by “Dr. Zhao, ENT Specialist” on Toutiao has garnered over 3.31 million views.

Furthermore, in terms of temporal distribution, the number of views for health-related news on Toutiao also experienced rapid month-on-month growth from October last year to September this year.

2.1 Billion Hypertension-Related Reads: Seven Times the Number of Patients

Of the 15.3 billion total views, one-seventh was accounted for by a single disease: hypertension. Currently, approximately 300 million people in China suffer from hypertension; however, this figure pales in comparison to the readership on Toutiao, where articles on hypertension have garnered over 2.1 billion views.

Last year’s “leader,” diabetes, also surpassed 2 billion views but still ranked second by a narrow margin. Common conditions such as constipation, the common cold, insomnia, atherosclerosis, stroke, and hyperlipidemia also made the list. In addition, we have noted that breast cancer has entered the rankings, driven by its rising incidence in recent years along with the celebrity effect.

Last week, Beijing welcomed the first snowfall of this winter, with temperatures plummeting to freezing point. Data from Toutiao indicates that hypertension-related attention peaks during March–April and July–August, primarily because fluctuating temperatures during seasonal transitions in spring and autumn can easily trigger cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Furthermore, from a geographical perspective, residents of Tianjin show the highest level of concern regarding hypertension, followed by those in Xinjiang, Jilin, Jiangsu, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Sichuan, Henan, Shandong, and Yunnan. It is evident that northern regions account for a larger proportion. Professor Li Jianping stated that this aligns with the regional characteristics of hypertension, as the incidence rate in the north is indeed higher than in the south.

Women Are More Health-Conscious Than Men, Aligning with Gender Ratios in Premature Mortality from Four Major Chronic Diseases

When it comes to hypertension, many young people may consider it the “exclusive domain” of middle-aged and elderly individuals. Data from Toutiao clearly shows that those aged 40 and above are more concerned about this condition, accounting for over 30% of the audience. The “2015 Beijing Health White Paper” reported the probability of premature death from four major chronic diseases (cardiovascular diseases, malignant tumors, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases) among Beijing registered residents aged 30 to under 70 years, which reached 11.11%, with 14.63% for males and 7.54% for females. However, Toutiao data indicates that women show slightly higher levels of attention than men, both in terms of general health concerns and specific interest in hypertension.

This also serves as a reminder to users that it may already be somewhat late to start paying attention to health after the age of 40. Professor Li Jianping stated, “Hypertension may be asymptomatic, so we need to take the initiative to measure our blood pressure.”

In addition to actively monitoring blood pressure, lifestyle interventions are of paramount importance. As the saying goes, “Food is the people’s heaven.” Big data from Toutiao corroborates this, revealing that users concerned about hypertension show significant interest in nutrition, protein, eggs, and related topics.

For patients with hypertension, antihypertensive medications are essential; therefore, users concerned about high blood pressure are also interested in "medications." However, it is particularly important to note that hypertension does not develop overnight, nor can it be brought under control in a day or two. Blood pressure should be lowered gradually and steadily. Patients must not arbitrarily change or discontinue their medication.

Hypertension is often grouped with diabetes and hyperlipidemia to form the so-called “Three Highs.” Consequently, individuals concerned about hypertension also pay close attention to related conditions such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, stroke, and hyperlipidemia.

Fitness-related attention surpasses 1.6 billion views; enthusiasm in July and August reaches over one million

On the Toutiao platform, fitness-related content garnered over 1.6 billion views throughout the year. During July and August, when bodies are most exposed, user interest in fitness reached “fever pitch,” with individual articles racking up more than 1 million reads.

However, there are many misconceptions about fitness. Scientific fitness requires proper guidance. For this reason, the Science and Education Department of the General Administration of Sport of China has established an official website and an official WeChat account, the “Scientific Fitness Guidance WeChat Platform,” with the aim of providing the public with more scientific guidance.

The Most "Alluring" Buttocks, the Most "Injured" Meniscus

Which body part do you most want to work out in fitness? The answer from Toutiao users is “glutes,” which topped the list of the 10 most-followed body parts with 168 million followers, nearly equaling the combined total of the second-place “chest” and third-place “thighs.” The remaining parts include the abdomen, legs, back, waist, chin, calves, and face.

For fitness enthusiasts, the goal is always to achieve a healthy physique. But why are injuries so common? Among Toutiao’s 600 million users, meniscal tears are the most concerning sports injury, with over 1.8 million related interactions, followed closely by plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis.

As running attracts a broad demographic, runner’s knee has also made the list, ranking fourth. Therefore, experts caution that proper form is essential during exercise; otherwise, the harm may outweigh the benefits.

500 Million Views, Circling the Earth 10,000 Times: Beijing’s “Lying Flat” Renamed “Beijing Running”

Remember the step-counting posts on WeChat Moments? According to data from Toutiao, running has claimed the “champion” title as the most popular fitness activity, with over 500 million views—equivalent to “running” around the Earth more than 10,000 times. Swimming and yoga are close behind.

Once, the "Beijing Lie-Down" trend was all the rage; however, in terms of regional interest in running, Beijing has taken the lead nationwide, with Shanghai and Tianjin ranking second and third, respectively.

Furthermore, on the Toutiao platform, users aged 40 and above tend to focus more on diseases, whereas running exhibits a different pattern, with individuals under 40 showing greater enthusiasm for physical activity. Data indicates that the 31–40 age group accounts for the largest proportion, followed closely by the 41–50 age group, while the 24–30 age group is rapidly catching up.