Health and sports experts have welcomed the city's first-ever action plan to tackle rising obesity rates but pointed out that the biggest hurdle isn't just dietary or a lack of exercise but a significant "cognitive gap" where people simply do not realise they are overweight.

The three-year strategy, launched on World Obesity Day on Wednesday, aims to curb obesity through a cross-departmental approach built on five key pillars – strengthening health education, fostering a supportive social environment, enhancing healthcare services, adopting a life-course approach to health promotion and continuously monitoring weight trends.

Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, Dr Anne Chee, head of the non-communicable disease branch at the Department of Health, said data from a 2022 health survey showed that over half of Hong Kong adults are either overweight or obese.

"In Hong Kong, over half of chronic diseases are related to obesity," she said. "Many people with obesity also suffer from diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It is very possible that over half of these individuals have these comorbidity issues."

However, Chee noted a major disconnect in public perception.

"Hong Kong citizens have pretty good self-perception. We see that among overweight individuals, two thirds feel their weight is just right, or even feel that they are too thin," she said.

"The downside is that in the past year, many of them haven't done anything to control their weight, so we see a significant perception gap."

Chee emphasised that many people might not fully understand how to calculate their body mass index, underscoring the need for intensified public education.

The plan distinguishes itself by adopting a "whole-of-government and community approach", she said, adding willpower and clinical care alone cannot solve the obesity crisis and that the broader environment must also support healthy choices.

As such, Chee said, the initiative brings together health services, education, labour safety, public housing management and urban planning, with practical steps including improving access to local services and providing multi-disciplinary support – from nurses and dietitians to occupational therapists – at district health centres.

Urban planning will also play a role, with plans to expand exercise infrastructure in public housing estates and new guidelines encouraging pedestrian-friendly waterfronts, cycling paths and building designs that nudge people to use stairs.

"We hope that after three years of effort, Hong Kong citizens' knowledge of weight management, including how to manage it, can increase by 10 percent," Chee said. "Our aim, in line with global targets, is to halt the upward trend of obesity – to stop it from rising further."

Speaking on the same programme, sports professor Lobo Louie from the Education University welcomed the initiative but warned that changing behaviour patterns was a long game.

"The biggest difficulty is that people lack motivation," he said.

"There is an interesting analysis from the US. If you buy an exercise bike for home, on average, after three to six months, it will disappear because you've lost motivation, and you’ve probably started draping clothes over it."

He stressed that while the action plan was a positive step, "raising awareness and promoting active behaviour is the crucial strategy in promoting healthy living, especially weight management".



Edited by Thomas McAlinden