[category]
[title]
Hong Kong has launched its first-ever action plan on weight management on World Obesity Day (March 4) to address the rising issue of overweight and obese adults in the city. This three-year action plan comes in response to data from the Department of Health's population health survey conducted between 2020 and 2022, which found that over half of Hong Kong's adult population were either overweight or obese. Officials have framed the initiative as Hong Kong’s contribution to the national Weight Management Year initiative and the World Health Organization’s global framework for curbing obesity.
The plan is structured around five key pillars: strengthening health education and promotion, fostering a supportive social environment, enhancing health service delivery, adopting a life-course approach to health promotion, and continuously monitoring weight trends. These translate into 15 specific objectives that government agencies will work toward over the next three years. The first year, 2026, focuses on raising awareness, the second year targets positive changes, and the third aims for maintenance, where healthier habits become part of normal life.
The first public initiative kicks off on March 21 with a ‘10,000 Steps a Day’ walking challenge integrated into the eHealth mobile app’s e+Life platform, with a launch ceremony and carnival taking place that same day at the West Kowloon Cultural District. Beyond the walking challenge, the plan includes longer-term measures such as installing weight measurement devices in public housing estates and schools, integrating weight management messages into school curricula, and designing pedestrian-friendly urban spaces that encourage physical activity.
Dr Edwin Tsui, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said the plan takes a systematic approach covering the full lifespan, from prenatal nutrition to maintaining function in old age. He emphasised that the strategy strengthens primary healthcare’s role as the gatekeeper of public health by promoting collaboration between Chinese and Western medicine and using the eHealth platform to help citizens manage their health data.
While weight management plans are in the works, some officials acknowledge major challenges. Dr Anne Chee, head of the non-communicable disease branch at the Department of Health, told a radio programme that among overweight individuals, two-thirds believe their weight is “just right” or even “too thin”, and that many have taken no action to manage their weight in the past year. Chee also highlighted the need for more public education, noting that many people may not fully understand how to calculate their body mass index as there is a lack of knowledge on weight management. Sports professor Lobo Louie from the Education University also warned that maintaining motivation may be difficult, pointing to the gap between raising awareness and sustaining behavioural change.
The action plan brings together multiple government bureaus and departments, including health, education, leisure and cultural services, and urban planning. A cross-departmental group established last October is coordinating these efforts and promoting collaboration across government, business, academia, and community organisations. For now, the plan relies on voluntary participation and public education. Whether that will be enough to reverse the trend remains to be seen as officials stress that willpower and clinical care alone cannot solve Hong Kong’s obesity problem, and that the broader environment must also support healthier choices. More details are available on the Department of Health’s Change4Health website.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox
Recommended stories:
OOOO Waffle is bringing its bestselling Korean-style waffles to Hong Kong
This new five-day pop-up in Sham Shui Po celebrates all things print magazines
Hong Kong is setting up more designated stops for taxi fleets