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The Department of Health (DH) today (May 11) presented commendations to some 350 community members and 90 representatives from various organisations at the "I'm So Smart" Community Health Promotion Programme Recognition Ceremony for their active participation in promoting and facilitating healthy eating and regular physical activity in the Hong Kong community.
"The programme has entered its fifth-year mission since its launch in 2012. To echo the theme of World Health Day 2016, the main theme this year is 'healthy eating and regular physical activity - with focus on diabetes'," the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the DH, Dr Leung Ting-hung, said at the ceremony.
"Diabetes prevalence has been rising globally. One out of 10 people in Hong Kong suffers from diabetes. One-fifth of the diabetic patients had onset before the age of 40. There is also an increasing trend of young-onset diabetes. A local study reported a 12-fold increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents aged below 19, from about 0.2 per 100 000 persons in 1997 to 2.6 per 100 000 persons in 2007," Dr Leung explained.
The DH has started a publicity and public education campaign, with the slogan "Let's beat diabetes". As the risk of diabetes is closely related to unhealthy lifestyles, like unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and obesity, healthy eating and regular physical activity can help lower the risk of diabetes as well as its complications.
"Excessive consumption of sugar and fat leads to being overweight or obese and also increases the risk of diabetes while excessive dietary salt intake increases the risk of hypertension, which affects diabetes control. Encouraging changes in dietary habits to cut sugar and salt consumption, and in particular raising public awareness about the sugar and salt hidden in processed foods, is very important," Dr Leung said.
"The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults have at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each day, on at least five days per week. The DH invited the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, to design a set of 10-minute moderate-intensity physical activities entitled '10-minute exercise' which could be performed at home or in the office. Practising this set of exercises three times a day helps to fulfil the WHO's recommendation regarding physical activity. The demonstration video is now available on the YouTube channel of the CHP," Dr Leung added.
Dr Leung also took the opportunity to thank the participating organisations for their support in promoting healthy eating and regular physical activity in the local community.
The Programme has been supported by over 90 organisations including the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA), Estate Management Advisory Committees of public housing estates under the HKHA, Healthy Cities Projects and non-governmental organisations. Participating organisations have held a variety of activities to promote healthy eating and regular physical activity according to community needs and interests. Total attendance of more than 50 000 was recorded for these activities in 2015.
Other officiating guests at today's ceremony included the Chief Manager (Management) of the Housing Department, Mr Virgil Hsu; the Consultant of the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Dr Ho Yuk-yin; the Chair Professor of the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Lam Tai-hing; the Vice Chairman of the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, Mr Ricky Cheung; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Dietitians Association, Ms Sylvia Lam; and the Assistant Director of Health, Dr Anne Fung.
Ends/Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:33
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