The Department of Health has urged citizens to improve their lifestyles after a survey found half of Hong Kong people are overweight and more than 86% of them consume excess salt.
The findings of the department's Population Health Survey were released today.
Conducted between December 2014 and August 2016, the study was the second large-scale survey of its type conducted in Hong Kong. More than 12,000 people aged 15 and above were interviewed.
It found about 50% of Hong Kong people aged 15 to 84 were overweight or obese, and 86.3% of them had a salt intake exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended limit.
The survey found the prevalence of high cholesterol for people aged 15 to 84 was 49.5%, while the prevalence rate of one or more of hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol was 59.2%.
Compared with the first survey conducted in 2003-04, the latest study saw some improvements in hypertension with the age-standardised rate decreasing from 23.5% to 21.2%.
But there was a high prevalence of inadequate fruit and vegetable intake at 94.4% and a marked increase in alcohol consumption from 33.3% in 2003-04 to 61.4% in 2014-15.
Some major non-communicable diseases such as being overweight or obese (50%), hypertension (27.7%), diabetes (8.4%) and high cholesterol (49.5%) were prevalent among the general population.
The survey predicted the risk of cardiovascular issues, including coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease and heart failure, among people aged 30 to 74 over the next 10 years is 10.6%.
The department said a healthier diet, increased physical activity, and avoidance of smoking and drinking can help prevent heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes cases by 80% and cancer cases by 40%.
Noting the survey showed a drop in the prevalence of smoking from 16.3% to 14.8%, the department said it will continue its tobacco control efforts by launching the Pilot Public-Private Partnership Programme on Smoking Cessation later this year.
Click here for the findings.
