Obesity in Hong Kong

According to the Population Health Survey (PHS) 2020-22 conducted by the Hong Kong Department of Health, 32.6% (26.4% of females and 39.4% of males) of persons aged 15-84 were obese (i.e. BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m²) and another 22.0% (19.7% of females and 24.6% of males) were overweight (i.e. 23.0 kg/m² ≤ BMI < 25.0 kg/m²). Obesity and overweight were most common among females aged 65-84 (57.0%) and among males aged 45-54 (74.6%).

Compared to the obesity rate of 29.9% (24.4% of females and 36.0% of males) in 2014-15, the obesity rate in 2020-2022 is significantly increased.

Even though obesity is common, Hongkongers are not familiar with health facts related to obesity. Based on a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Obesity in 2018:

44.2% of interviewees did not regard obesity as a disease.
70.9% of interviewees were not aware that the WHO has defined obesity as a disease.
72.5% of interviewees did not know the BMI cut-off for overweight and obesity.
Interviewees who underestimated their body weight tend to have more obesity-related diseases including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood lipids and fatty liver disease.