Weighty problem of body fat 'alarming'

Half of the people in the SAR are fat and almost 10 per cent of those of normal weight are carrying more body fat than they should be, according to a survey released yesterday.

The body mass index - the standard measure of whether weight is excessive - of about 50 per cent of the 400 people surveyed was too high. The group also exceeded the standard body-fat composition of 25 per cent fat for men and 30 per cent for women.

'It's certainly alarming,' said Dr Stephen Wong Heung-sang, assistant professor of the exercise physiology laboratory at the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Of the forty per cent of respondents - some 160 people - with a normal body mass index, 14 had body fat which was higher than normal.

Dr Wong said people should pay attention to their body fat, which tends to increase with age, and their weight, which normally does not vary much as they grow older. Research shows that abnormal body fat, usually accumulated in the internal organs and belly, is correlated with some of the commonest chronic diseases including high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Dr Wong said there was a general lack of physical exercise and activity, quoting the research result that more than half of the fat people did no exercise at all. The Westernised diet with relatively higher fat content, and an unhealthy SAR lifestyle, were other major factors. Dr Wong said aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day was enough to keep body fat low while building up muscle.