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SCMP Reporter

Should the slimming sector be more tightly controlled?
People, especially women, care a lot about their appearance.
A lot of young women, in order to look good, try hard to stay slim.
Therefore, demand is strong for slimming programmes and there are a lot of companies in the market.
In order to attract more young women to buy their products, these firms advertise on television, the internet and in newspapers and magazines.
You see these adverts all over town. They are large and eye-catching, and often make exaggerated claims about what their products can achieve.
For example, some companies imply that their product will quickly make people slim.  They  give the impression that people can achieve this without doing any exercise.
I am sure most of us know that this is just not realistic, but a lot of young women are taken in by it and they flock to buy these products. They do not stop to think that some of these products may have serious side effects.
Many people find that, after they have stopped using  the slimming products,  they rapidly regain the weight  they lost.
Some people feel that if they lose weight they will become more self-confident.
However, there are many factors that can help someone become more confident, such as having strength of character.
It is wrong to equate being slim with being beautiful, because there is such a thing as inner beauty, and that is far more important than physical appearance.
I hope young women, especially, will stop being so concerned about slimming - and I would like to see the government ensure that the slimming sector is more tightly regulated.
Ruth Lam, Lam Tin
Should the disabled receive half-price travel?
Over the past few years, Hong Kong's economy has picked up. The same cannot be said for the disabled, whose condition has not improved.
The high price of transport is a problem for many disabled people.
I agree with those  who  argue that the Hong Kong government should give them half-price travel.
Many disabled people are unable to work or are in low-paid jobs, so such a move would lessen the financial burden they face.
If they are on welfare payments they do not have a lot of money.
The cost of transport is an added expense, and I think a number of disabled people will often avoid going out because they cannot afford to pay for public transport. As a result, they lose touch with the rest of society and end up becoming isolated.
If their travel costs were halved, disabled people  would be able to go out more often, which would allow them to  become more involved in society. Those who are able to work could go out and look for jobs.
If the government approved this new fare policy,  it would prove that it is aware of the needs of disabled people and wishes to address these needs.
Doing something like that would make Hong Kong a more harmonious society.
Disabled people are a part of our society. We should always be willing to help those who are in need.
Cheung Kwan-tang, Kwun Tong
What do you think of this year's book fair?
I went to the book fair on Thursday and found that, even though we are experiencing skyrocketing inflation, book prices were very low.
Most were around 20 per cent less than the usual price.
For example, I bought four books by my favourite author, Sophie Kinsella,  and it cost me less than HK$200.
However, I found that stationery on sale was not especially cheap.
I could get the same  stationery for almost the same price outside the fair. You could only save money if you made a bulk purchase.
Because the book fair is popular, with thousands of people converging on the Convention and Exhibition Centre, you cannot stay long at each stand.
It is best to know exactly what you want by checking the internet and reading book reviews beforehand. Because of the crowds you really cannot stop and browse.
I particularly enjoyed the International Culture Village, outside the Grand Hall, where you could learn more about characters who appear in popular local comics.
Sara Lui Yee-wa, Lam Tin
On other matters...
Urban renewal on Hong Kong Island is quite rightly being discussed.
It would seem that the purpose of the redevelopment of these areas is not to make them better or indeed to benefit local residents, but merely to allow  developers to impose yet more high-rise buildings in areas that are quite unsuited for them.
It appears that Dragon Road in Tin Hau is the next in line for these 'improvements'.
We can obviously look forward to the destruction of these lovely old low-rise buildings that have given that area such character, and can look forward to 40-storey-high buildings being put in their place.
This, sadly, will happen regardless of the fact that it will spoil this area and that Dragon Road is unsuitable for high traffic flows.
It is a cul-de-sac without a turning point, and the entrance/exit (from one direction) is practically a hairpin bend.
Still, on the positive side, at least we can look forward to lots of images of French chateaux when they start advertising the new properties.
Gareth Jones, North Point
I was excited to see the article ('Google's HK map adds fastest-route feature', July 23),  but disappointed to find that it only offers directions 'By car'.
This makes it useless for most people, locals or visitors, moving about.
When you enter Central station and Kowloon Park as the start and destination, it offers a 13-minute route via the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, when hopping on the MTR would be easier, faster, safer and more environmentally friendly.
Hong Kong has excellent public transport, but one failing is, particularly for buses, that it can be difficult to identify the route required, or the stop to get on board  for an unfamiliar destination.
Unfortunately, Google has not addressed this problem.
Allan Dyer, Wong Chuk Hang



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