Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ18: Obesity of children and young people
Following is a question by the Dr Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by the
Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council
today (June 29):
Question :
It has been reported that the obesity rate of children and young people aged
between six and 18 rose from 16.1 per cent in 1995-96 to 17.8 per cent in
2002-03, and the age profile of diabetes cases has also become younger. In this
connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective numbers of children and young people who were diagnosed in
each of the past five years with diseases closely related to obesity, such as
cardiovascular disease, hypertension, heart disease and diabetes mellitus, with
a breakdown by their body mass indexes and the age groups to which they
belonged;
(b) whether the authorities will evaluate and rate the lunchboxes provided to
children in schools by food suppliers based on the conformity of their nutrition
composition to the principle of healthy eating, so as to facilitate schools and
students in making appropriate choices when ordering lunchboxes; if they will,
of the timing for introducing such evaluation and rating scheme; if not, the
reasons for that, and
(c) given that the existing guidelines on healthy menu issued by the Department
of Health for food suppliers' reference are not binding on such suppliers,
whether the authorities have conducted any studies on the feasibility of
regulating food compositions of school lunchboxes by legislation to ensure that
students will have balanced nutrition; if they have, of the results of the
studies; if not, the reasons for that?
Answer :
Madam President,
(a) Obesity is associated with many chronic diseases such as coronary heart
diseases, diabetes, hypertension and stroke, which usually take years to
develop. Nonetheless, it should be noted that these diseases may be developed by
other causes, therefore not all patients diagnosed with such diseases are obese.
Based on the available information from the Hospital Authority (HA), the number
of in-patient discharges and deaths of coronary heart diseases, diabetes and
hypertension for children aged 5 to 19 for the period from 2001 to 2003 is set
out at
Annex. Detailed breakdown of the above figures by body mass indexes, as well
as the corresponding data before 2001 as categorised by different age groups,
are not readily available in the HA database.
(b) The Administration considers the most effective way to tackle obesity is
through concerted actions between the Government and the community. It should be
recognised that we all have a duty to take good care of our own health. Public
education on healthy eating is conducted to promote a better understanding on a
wholesome diet and help people to make wiser and healthier choices on food.
Healthy eating starts young. In relation to students, the Department of Health
(DH) and the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) have dedicated efforts in
promoting healthy eating among students through different programmes targeted at
students, parents, schools and lunch box suppliers. These programmes come in the
forms of promotional clips on TV; guidebooks and pamphlets featuring useful
information on healthy eating and menu-planning targeting primary and secondary
school students; district-based health talks, surveys on eating patterns of
students, and studies on school-based environmental interventions to promote
healthy eating, etc. Some of these activities are organised in collaboration
with other departments (such as the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD)),
District Councils, community groups, non-governmental organisations and tertiary
institutions. These activities aim to promote basic dietary principles (e.g. the
Food Pyramid, and the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption) and
encourage adoption of healthy eating. With contributions from DH as well as FEHD,
EMB has also been disseminating guidelines to schools to facilitate their choice
of lunchboxes that meet students' nutritional needs. We do not have any plans to
rate and evaluate the contents of the lunchboxes provided by food suppliers.
All students who attend Student Health Service Centres in DH would have their
height and weight measured. Those who are found to be obese would be interviewed
by doctors, nurses or dietitians as appropriate, after which they (and their
parents if present) will have an opportunity to learn about the importance of
proper diet, healthy eating and physical activity. Health education pamphlets,
booklets and other materials would also be distributed to the students.
Moreover, the outreaching teams from Adolescent Health Programme also deliver
specific programmes on diet and nutrition to secondary school students. They
include talks covering various topics like healthy eating, balanced diets,
weight management, food labels and health food choices in different settings.
The Administration's educational efforts also cover kindergarten students and
caretakers, as we consider eating habits are mostly formed during early years in
life, and children rely heavily on adults for meal choice and preparation. And
according to literature, there is a tendency for obese children to remain obese
in adulthood. To this end, teaching kits and educational programmes on healthy
eating are produced and distributed to kindergartens and nurseries, with support
from the Social Welfare Department and EMB, for pre-school childcare workers.
We are also aware that eating habits of school children are often influenced by
their parents. It is therefore important for adults to adopt a healthy
lifestyle, so that they can influence the dietary choices of their children by
example. In this connection, messages on healthy diets are communicated to the
general public (i.e. parents, homemakers and teachers inclusive) using different
channels, from the traditional pamphlets and guidebooks, to a dedicated health
educational website maintained by the DH; and from promotional clips for TV and
radio, to recipe booklets on balanced diets.
(c) The Administration has not conducted studies on the feasibility of
regulating food composition of school lunchboxes by legislation. As mentioned
above, children's dietary habit is very much influenced by the people and the
environment they have close interaction with, and healthy eating must start in
the home, school and community. Legislation on lunchbox intake alone may not be
an effective means to promote healthy eating. Comprehensive public education
could be more effective. In this connection, the Administration will conduct
study on the nutritional content of lunchboxes consumed by students, the outcome
of which will inform the public education strategy. The Administration will
continue its efforts in promoting public awareness of and support for
nutritionally-balanced diets for children.
Ends/Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:14
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