MORE than a third of the SAR's population is overweight, scientists have warned.
And they say by using Western standards of measurement, the health risks to Chinese are being underestimated.
They say Chinese deemed overweight by the same test used for Westerners have more than twice the chance of developing conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
Speaking after the opening day of the 'East meets West' symposium on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Risk Factors at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre yesterday, Professor Julian Critchley of the Chinese University's medicine and therapeutics department described the situation as 'alarming'.
A paper outlining research by scientists at the Chinese University said: 'Levels used to indicate that Westerners are too fat are too high for Chinese subjects.
'The risk of diseases is already more than twice as likely in those whose fat levels are similar to the level considered overweight in Westerners.