NCD Watch

Obesity

13 Jun 2023 (Tue)

Obesity is recognised as a chronic disease with excessive body fat that can impair health. For Chinese adults in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25 is considered obesity while a BMI from 23.0 to less than 25 is regarded overweight. Central obesity is defined as having a waist circumference 90 centimeters (cm) or above for men and 80 cm or above for women. Furthermore, a waist-to-hip ratio at 0.90 or above for men and 0.85 for women also signify centrally obese.

The Population Health Survey 2020-22 conducted by the Department of Health (DH) showed that 32.6% of local persons aged 15–84 were obese and another 22.0% were overweight; 37.8% and 35.4% were classified as centrally obese when defined by waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio respectively.

The fundamental cause of obesity is an energy imbalance between calories consumed from food as well as drinks and calories expended in normal body functions along with daily activities. To reduce the risk of obesity, members of the public are encouraged to eat a balanced diet and refrain from alcohol drinking, be physically active and reduce the amount of time spent being sedentary. For more in-formation about healthy living, please visit the Change for Health website of the DH at https://www.change4health.gov.hk/en/index.html.

The DH will continue to step up efforts in increasing people’s health literacy and enhancing public awareness about the importance of healthy living, as well as working in close partnership with various stakeholders to foster a health-enhancing environment.

Source: NCD Watch June 2023