More than two-thirds of Hongkongers are unaware obesity is considered a clinical disease, survey says
- Only one-third of people polled by the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity were aware of the indicator for determining obesity
- The association has called on the government to officially classify obesity as a disease to raise awareness of the health risks it poses
More than 70 per cent of adults in Hong Kong are unaware obesity has been considered a disease by the world’s health watchdog for almost two decades, a new survey has said.
The survey, conducted by the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity last October, also found 44.2 per cent of 1,008 adults polled did not know obesity was an illness that could lead to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
It highlighted a lack of awareness in Hong Kong of a problem many countries have named as one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century.
Dr Francis Chow Chun-chung, president of the association, called on the government to officially class obesity as a disease to help raise awareness.
“Diabetes wasn’t seen as anything important 20 years ago. But because people started to talk about it in the past 20 years, it is now being treated as a serious disease,” Chow said.
“Obesity, likewise, is a disease that has a very big impact on our physical and mental health and future quality of life. It will also have a direct or indirect impact on our labour force, the structure of our society and on our economy.”