【The Standard】One-fifth of HK students face overweight risk, health groups warn
About 20 percent of Hong Kong students are at risk of being overweight, health experts warned, calling for public awareness of obesity and its related health issues ahead of World Obesity Day on Tuesday.
In light of World Obesity Day, the Hong Kong Obesity Society and Asiahep Hong Kong urged the public to prioritize weight management early and adopt healthy lifestyle habits to prevent comorbidities and enhance overall well-being, explaining that obesity is a serious medical condition that significantly raises the risk of diseases like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers, and it is increasingly affecting individuals of all age groups in the city.
The two concern groups cited data from the Department of Health’s Student Health Service, revealing that the prevalence of overweight, including obesity, among primary and secondary school students was alarmingly high at 19.5 percent and 20.5 percent during the 2022/23 academic year.
President-elect of the Hong Kong Obesity Society Queenie See Wing-shan, also a specialist in pediatrics, said: “Many parents think that chubby kids are the cutest but childhood obesity is in fact a significant global health concern.”
She noted that international studies show overweight and obese students, especially girls, tend to perform worse academically and cognitively than their peers.
She stressed that if childhood obesity is not addressed early, it is likely to persist into adulthood, leading to health issues like type 2 diabetes, which were once primarily associated with older adults but are increasingly seen in children.
See suggested that regular exercise enhances executive function, attention, and overall learning outcomes in preadolescent children, with the benefits of consistent physical activity becoming increasingly pronounced over time.
As obesity rates rise, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) has become an increasingly significant health issue.
President of Asiahep Hong Kong Kelvin Lam Long-yan, also a Specialist in Gastroenterology & Hepatology, stated that obesity is a primary risk factor for MASLD, with an estimated prevalence of 29 percent to 38 percent among obese children.
He warned that there is currently no specific curative medication for fatty liver in Hong Kong.
However, Lam noted that fatty liver disease is reversible and research suggests that effective weight management and lifestyle changes can lead to improvement without medication. This underscores the critical importance of early detection and intervention.
(Cheng Wong)