The Department of Health has launched a campaign to raise awareness of diabetes to support World Health Day 2016.
A booklet jointly produced by Diabetes Hongkong and the department has been introduced, while the Centre for Health Protection is inviting people to visit its Facebook page for diabetes information.
Reviewing the local diabetes trend during a press conference today, Director of Health Dr Constance Chan noted that one out of 10 people in Hong Kong is living with the disease, with one-fifth of patients being diagnosed at a young age, while half of them are unaware of having it.
She cited Hospital Authority figures which show that new diabetes cases increased from 33,331 in 2009-10 to 34,864 in 2014-15, and a local study which found that 21.3% of patients had been diagnosed before they turned 40.
More than one-third of the respondents drank soft or sugary drinks once a day or more in the 30 days before taking the survey Dr Chan said, citing another study which also indicated that more than 60% of respondents fell short of the World Health Organisation’s recommended level of physical activity.
In addition to eating a healthy diet and taking regular exercise, middle-aged obese people who have immediate relatives with diabetes should undergo regular body checks, she added.
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