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A growing problem

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Apart from health problems, overweight teenagers face many other challenges, including being insulted or harassed by peers and difficulty in making friends.

Research conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) revealed that the number of obese children in Hong Kong has almost doubled over the past 13 years.

The university's sports science department conducted a number of surveys between 2001 and 2006, collecting the height and weight data of about 31,000 six- to 18-year-olds.

The figures showed that 16.8 per cent of girls and 22.5 per cent of boys were overweight in 2006, compared to only 8.9 per cent and 11.3 per cent, respectively, in 1993.

According to paediatrician Alfred Tam Yat-cheung, a change in lifestyle is the biggest reason for the rising obesity rates among children.

Today's youngsters eat more snacks, play computer games and don't do enough exercise, he said.

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