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 Obesity - Size of problem History |
Obesity - Size of problem
 With the rapid growth and development in the economy of Hong Kong and China, obesity and its associated morbidities
are increasingly a health and societal burden to the region. In a territory-wide survey of Chinese adults in Hong Kong,
the prevalence of overweight was even more alarming, as 26.9% of the men and 31.1% of the women studied were having BMI
over 25. A recent multi-centre study of obesity problem in various Asia-Pacific countries revealed that nearly 3% of the
Chinese and Hong Kong populations are medically obese (BMI > 30). These figures are alarming, as many obese patients will
inevitably suffer from obesity-related disease and premature mortality.Southeast Asia populations like Hong Kong and China have a higher risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease than Caucasians who have the same BMI values, and WHO had recommended a lower the cut-off point for defining overweight (BMI > 23) or obese (BMI > 25) for Asian population. While life-style modification, exercise, dietary training and medical therapy may be effective in weight control for slightly overweight people, those who are morbidly obese often fail with these simple measures. Bariatric surgery has been proven to be a most effective and long-lasting measure in the management of such a condition.
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