Hong Kong launches first action plan to combat obesity

2026-03-04 - 23:35

The Hong Kong government has launched a three-year Action Plan on Weight Management – the first of its kind – to fight obesity. People cross the street in Central, Hong Kong, on February 13, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The government unveiled the action plan on Wednesday to mark World Obesity Day. The plan brings together different government bureaux and departments and aims to enhance collaboration between Chinese and Western medicine, according to the Department of Health. The Education Bureau will integrate messages about weight management and healthy living into school practices, while the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will encourage the public to incorporate exercise into their daily lives. The interdepartmental Weight Management Working Group, set up in October in response to Chief Executive John Lee’s policy address, will roll out measures in phases and monitor implementation of the action plan, Dr Edwin Tsui, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said on Wednesday. Edwin Tsui, the controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. The action plan outlines five key directions, including promoting weight management awareness, fostering a social environment to support weight management, and continuously monitoring weight trends among Hongkongers. According to the Department of Health’s 2020-22 survey, more than 50 per cent of Hong Kong’s adult population is considered overweight or obese. Each of the action plan’s three years will focus on a special theme, with “raise awareness” chosen for the first year. The government will launch a regularised walking challenge on March 21, as part of the “10,000 Steps a Day” campaign.