China's northern regions famous for their dumplings and other calorie-rich dishes now have another claim to fame.

People living in the north of China are fatter than their southern compatriots was among the weighty claims in the 2015 Body Mass Index (BMI) of China, released Wednesday during a press conference in Beijing.

The study, researched by Guangdong-based health product company Lv Shou with support from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, singles out Northeast China as home to China's highest obesity rates, chinanews.com reported.

A total 35 percent of Northeastern Chinese were found to be obese, or with a BMI above 28, while the number in the South is 27 percent, according to the report.

Wang Jingzhong, a research fellow at the National Institute for Nutrition and Health Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, attributed the South's lower obesity rate to its warmer climate and lighter cuisines.

"Hot weather may help speed up the metabolisms of Southerners," Wang told chinanews.com, "while people in the North prefer to eat food high in fat and cholesterol."

The study results were met with widespread interest on social media. Some called for Northerners to maintain a healthy diet, while others pointed out their logic behind eating a heavier cuisine.

"It's understandable that there is more obesity in the North. People there need to gain fat to combat the cold winter," a Sina Weibo user commented.

chinanews.com