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  • Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity (HKASO)

  • To raise public awareness
    about obesity and metabolic health

  • To promulgate evidence-based
    health informations related to obesity

  • To advocate obesity as a health
    problem of high priority in our community

About Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity (HKASO)

The Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity (HKASO) was established in 2003 by a group of healthcare professionals including endocrinologists, surgeons, family physicians, dietitians and physical education specialists, etc, dedicated to raise public awareness about obesity and metabolic health. The Association is also a full member of the World Obesity Federation (WOF) and the Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity (AOASO). The Association has the mandate to promulgate evidence-based health information related to obesity and to advocate obesity as a health problem of high priority in our community. 

Obesity is a global epidemic and the prevalence is rapidly increasing in Asia. In Hong Kong, about 30% of the general adult population are obese, and in addition, around 20% are overweight (Hong Kong Population Health Survey 2020-2022). Obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease and cancer. The costs of managing obesity and its downstream complications are enormous and pose a serious financial burden to our society.

Mission Statements

The missions of the Association are:

  1. To focus attention and stimulate the study of obesity in Hong Kong including its causes, manifestations and prevention.
  2. To provide an independent body of healthcare professionals involved in both basic and applied research into the subject.
  3. To encourage research into all facets and prevention of obesity.
  4. To provide a better understanding of obesity to healthcare professionals and to general public.
  5. To maintain affiliation with international professional bodies to ensure the best possible exchange of information about the study of the epidemiological, metabolic, nutritional, pharmacological, surgical, behavioural and educational aspects of obesity and its treatment.

Latest News

講者合影留念
                      
 

The "Combating Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease" health seminar, jointly organized by the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity, the Hong Kong Healthcare Alliance, and Obesity Companion, was successfully concluded on 23 July 2026 at the Hong Kong Central Library. The health talk offered a wealth of informative content and was attended to full capacity, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response from participants.

Dr. Francis Chow, Founding President of the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity and Specialist in Endocrinology and Diabetes, together with Dr. Lorena Cheung, Honorary Secretary of the Association and Registered Dietitian (USA), provided the public with a comprehensive overview of the symptoms, underlying causes, and treatment of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) syndrome, as well as evidence-based dietary approaches to achieving healthy weight reduction and improved liver health.

We wish to express our sincere appreciation to both distinguished speakers for their thoughtful responses to the numerous questions and common misconceptions concerning weight management raised during the question-and-answer session. We are deeply grateful to all attendees for their enthusiastic participation and look forward to welcoming you to our future events.

 
 
HKASO Press Conference 2026 The Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity (HKASO) held a press conference on Jan 8, 2026 to release the results of our latest telephone survey of over 1000 HK residents which compared those of the same survey conducted in 2018. HKASO also reminded the public to be wary of online scams impersonating HKASO to sell weight-loss products and parallel import drugs, which could lead to harmful effects instead of weight loss. Although the development of GLP-1 drugs in recent years has been revolutionary for weight management, HKASO alerted that all prescription weight-loss drugs must be used under medical supervision and patients should be aware of common gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea and constipation. Details...

Council

HKASO Council Members 2025 - 2027

Prof. Andrea OY Luk
Prof. Andrea OY Luk President
Dr. Francis CC Chow
Dr. Francis CC Chow Vice President
Dr. Lorena TF Cheung
Dr. Lorena TF Cheung Honorary Secretary
Website and Social Media
Dr. Gary TC Ko
Dr. Gary TC Ko Honorary Treasurer
Research and Travel Grant Committee
Dr. Kitty KT Cheung
Dr. Kitty KT Cheung Council Member
Dr Edith Wing Kar Chow
Dr Edith WK Chow Council Member
Prof. Stanley SC Hui
Prof. Stanley SC Hui Council Member
Dr. Ka Fai Lee
Dr. Ka Fai Lee Council Member
Research and Travel Grant Committee
Dr. June KY Li
Dr. June KY Li Council Member
Dr. Matthew KW Lo
Dr. Matthew KW Lo Council Member
Dr. Vincent TF Yeung
Dr. Vincent TF Yeung Council Member
Dr. Cheuk Lik Wong
Dr. Cheuk Lik Wong Council Member
Newsletter Editor
Special Notice:
Please be aware that there have been fake Facebook and Instagram pages pretending to be our Association's online platform. We hereby clarify that the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity (HKASO), as a charitable professional organisation under Section 88 of Inland Revenue Ordinance, has never endorsed any medical products or health supplements. Please kindly inform us if you encounter similar posts or promotions in the future.