Obesity in Hong Kong

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1. Introduction:
In Hong Kong, the problem of obesity is quite serious. According to the Population Health Survey 2003/2004 commissioned by The Department of Health, around 18% of the population aged 15 and above were overweight and around a quarter of the population were obese. [1] In spite of this, in order to tackle this problem effectively, the causes of the problem will be evaluated and the different preventative measures will be suggested in this report.

2. Main reasons for obesity in Hong Kong:

2.1. Nutrition:
Nowadays, there is quite a lot of working women. They have to sacrifice their time on cooking in order to work. Hence, they prefer to choose fast foods as their meals because these foods are generally cheap, tasty and widely available. But these foods are usually energy-dense and nutrition-poor. [1] For example, an average meal in a fast food restaurant provides 1,000 to 2,000 kilocalories, which is the recommended daily calories intake for adults. [1] In long term, persistent intake of those foods in every meal may lead to obesity.

2.2. Physical Activity:
Hong Kong has a well-developed transportation network. People can go everywhere conveniently by taking public transportations or driving private cars. At home, many people nowadays are enjoying more sedentary pursuits like TV viewing. Due to the prevalence of public transport and the increase of sedentary leisure pursuits, the opportunities for people to do exercise diminishes. It is estimated that around 17% of the adults are lack of doing physical activities. [1] A study has claimed that there is an inverse relationship between BMI and physical activity. [2]

2.3. Busy Lifestyle:
Hong Kong is a prosperous yet hustle city. Most of the people living in Hong Kong have a busy lifestyle. They have to work around the clock while having less time to rest. According to a survey published on the International Journal of Obesity, people who sleep less than six hours and work more than 9 hours had the highest BMI. [2] It shows that reduced sleeping hours and long working hours maybe the factors leading to obesity.

3. Preventative measures that can be taken:

3.1. Diet
People usually have a misunderstanding that in order to keep fit, they have to eat less. Some of them may choose to skip their breakfasts but that is incorrect. Breakfast is essential [3], as it provides nutrients for the whole day. Moreover, people should limit the intake of high-calorie foods and foods which are rich in fats.

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