Press Release / Announcements

Press Release: Action plan for a healthy lifestyle (with photos)

27 Sep 2010 (Mon)

A territory-wide action plan to promote healthy diet and physical activity was officially launched today (September 27) to combat the rising tide of non-communicable diseases (NCD) and enhance the quality of life for the community.

Addressing the "'Eat and Play Smart for Better Health - Get Set, GO!' launching ceremony of the 'action Plan to Promote Healthy Diet and Physical Activity Participation in Hong Kong'", the Acting Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Gabriel Leung, said that for a busy city with a fast pace of life like Hong Kong, the key to healthy living is healthy diet and regular physical exercise.

Research findings reveal that NCD accounted for about 60% of deaths worldwide. With a lifestyle embracing healthy diet, physical activity and avoidance of tobacco smoke, over 80% of heart diseases, diabetes mellitus and one third of cancer cases can be prevented.

In Hong Kong, many NCDs are the result of unhealthy living habits such as inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, excessive intake of foods high in fat, sugar and salt, physical inactivity, tobacco use and alcohol misuse.

Recognising the significant health, social and economic impact on the community if the problem of NCD is not well controlled, the Working Group on Diet and Physical Activity compiled the Action Plan which includes five priority areas, 14 recommendations and 30 specific actions on which government departments and related organisations will work together to promote healthy diet and physical activity participation in Hong Kong in the next few years.

The Action Plan also outlines the framework of actions that will be taken to support and help set directions for the delivery of health promotion programmes. The five priority areas are:

  1. Generate an effective information base and system on dietary habits and physical activity participation to guide actions
  2. Support new and strengthen existing health promotion activities on healthy eating and physical activity participation
  3. Strengthen partnership and foster engagement of all relevant stakeholders
  4. Build capacity and capability to promote healthy eating and physical activity participation
  5. Secure resources for health promotion on healthy eating and physical activity participation.

The launching ceremony was organised by the Department of Health with the support of various government counterparts including the Education Bureau, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, as well as stakeholders and health promotion partners in the non-government sector. The ceremony also served as an occasion to give recognition to health promotion partners who had been actively engaged in promoting healthy lifestyles.

Also at the ceremony, two healthy mascots and a new logo with the tagline "For Health, We Change" were unveiled to create public awareness and call for concerted efforts in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

"With the dedication, partnership and coordinated effort called for in the Action Plan, we are better placed to empower individuals to take responsibility for their health as well as to create a caring community that opens up a wider range of health choices for all," the Action Plan said.

More information on the Action Plan is available at the following page on the Centre for Health Protection's website, www.chp.gov.hk/en/epidemiology/29/134/504/561.html .

Ends/Monday, September 27, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:01

The Acting Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Gabriel Leung (left), and the Director of Health, Dr PY Lam, were among the officiating guests of the launching ceremony of the 'Action Plan to Promote Healthy Diet and Physical Activity Participation in Hong Kong' today (September 27).

The Acting Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Gabriel Leung (left), and the Director of Health, Dr PY Lam, were among the officiating guests of the launching ceremony of the "Action Plan to Promote Healthy Diet and Physical Activity Participation in Hong Kong" today (September 27).

Professor Gabriel Leung (left), and the Director of Health, Dr PY Lam, were among the officiating guests of the launching ceremony of the 'Action Plan to Promote Healthy Diet and Physical Activity Participation in Hong Kong' today (September 27).

The Acting Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Gabriel Leung (fourth right) and other officiating guests after receiving souvenirs at the launching ceremony of the "Action Plan to Promote Healthy Diet and Physical Activity Participation in Hong Kong" today (September 27).