As Taiwan counts down to the Lunar New Year, locals are busy putting final preparations in place to celebrate this traditional holiday, which begins Feb. 2 and includes gargantuan family feasts, temple visits and obligatory traffic tussles.
Jang Jhy-fu, director of traffic management at the National Freeway Bureau, said Jan. 31 that nationwide traffic flows are expected to reach their peak between Feb. 4 and 6, with 3 million vehicles on the road Feb. 5.
“As the upcoming vacation is shorter than previous years, and the weather is expected to warm up, the highways will see heavier usage than 2010,” he said.
Jang urged people to make full use of Taiwan’s public transportation network and if driving, attempt to use provincial highways where possible. “To minimize traffic congestion, the bureau will only permit vehicles carrying three or more passengers on national freeways Feb. 2, 5 and 6,” he said.
But Taiwan’s Lunar New Year revelers have something more than traffic snarls to worry about this year. According to a Department of Health official, 40 percent of people are likely to gain an average of 1.7 kilograms during the vacation.
“The majority of adults will eat more than they normally do and exercise less,” a DOH official said. “Most people do not pay attention to weight gain and overindulge in lollies, biscuits and other calorie-laden sweet treats.”
DOH statistics indicate that in 2008, 44.1 percent of Taiwan’s adult population was overweight or obese.
To help locals win the battle of the bulge, the DOH recommends drinking plenty of water before feasting and taking long walks when possible.
“But the key to avoiding blow outs is being careful with what one eats,” the official said. “Quality not quantity should be everyone’s culinary mantra.”
Write to John Scott Marchant at js_marchant@mail.gio.gov.tw