The Department of Health has recently released the report of the Population Health Survey 2020-22, revealing alarming statistics on the state of health in Hong Kong.
According to the report, 54.6 percent of the population in Hong Kong is overweight or obese, with 37.8 percent suffering from central obesity. Additionally, nearly 30 percent of the population is affected by hypertension, and those aged between 30 to 74 years old have an average risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the next decade of 14.5 percent.
In response to these concerning findings, the authorities are urging the public to prioritize physical activity and adopt a balanced diet to maintain a healthy weight.
From November 2020 to February 2022, the Department of Health interviewed over 16,000 Hong Kong citizens aged 15 and above and performed physical examinations and blood tests on 2,072 respondents.
This extensive initiative seeks to gain insights into the health status of Hong Kong’s citizens, as well as their health-related behaviors and habits, and use these findings to define evidence-based public health policies, allocate resources, develop public health services, and create programs that will benefit the overall health and wellbeing of Hong Kong’s population.
According to the study, 22 percent of the participants weighted the standard set by the World Health Organization, making them overweight, while 32.6 percent were considered obese.
Overweight and obesity were found to be most prevalent among women aged 65 to 84 and men aged 45 to 54. Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were used to determine central obesity.
The study found that 37.8 percent of individuals aged 15 to 84 were defined as centrally obese by waist circumference. In comparison, 35.4 percent were classified as such by waist-to-hip ratio.
Ms. Jennifer Chung Hiu Wah, Senior Medical Officer at the Department of Health Health Protection Non-Communicable Disease Branch, noted that the prevalence of physical inactivity among the public has nearly doubled from 13 percent in the 2014/15 survey to 24.8 percent.
Furthermore, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has risen from 50 percent to 54.6 percent, suggesting that the increase in physical inactivity may be linked to the surge in obesity rates.
According to the report, 83.9 percent of individuals consume a diet high in salt, with the average daily salt intake slightly decreasing from 8.8 grams in 2014-2015 to 8.4 grams in the latest findings.
However, this figure still exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommended daily intake of less than 5 grams. In addition, 90.9 percent of people need more potassium intake, falling short of the WHO’s recommended daily intake of at least 3.5 grams.
Moreover, the prevalence of insufficient vegetable intake has risen to 97.9 percent, marking an increase of 3.5 percentage points. Only two percent of the population consumes a minimum of 400 grams of fruits and vegetables daily.
Dr. Rita Ho Ka-wai, head of the Non-communicable Disease Branch of the Centre for Health Protection, highlighted the widespread issue of obesity in developed regions, including Hong Kong, where the prevalence of overweight and obesity is comparable to that of mainland China and Singapore.
Hong Kong men, in particular, are frequently exposed to alcohol and tobacco, and coupled with unhealthy lifestyle habits, they face an elevated risk of hypertension and diabetes.
To combat this, Ho recommended that the public not only engage in regular physical activity but also cultivate a well-balanced diet. This should include reducing the intake of cooking oil, salt, and sugar while consuming at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables daily.
