From news.gov.hk:
1 in 5 primary school kids overweight (http://news.gov.hk/en/category/healthandcommunity/060403/html/060403en05002.htm)

--It seems HK needs to do the same as Singapore do! :runaway:

From news.gov.hk:
1 in 5 primary school kids overweight (http://news.gov.hk/en/category/healthandcommunity/060403/html/060403en05002.htm)

--It seems HK needs to do the same as Singapore do! :runaway:

What is Singapore doing?

What is Singapore doing?

Singapore doesn't sell soft drinks in schools and having compulsory exercise programs for the overweighted students. :|

We should encourage kids to consume less unhealthy fast food rather than regulate everything, because kids can always go off-campus during lunch or after school to eat fatty foods at a McDonald's.

I agree, compulsory exercises can help, but this isn't the most effective solution.
The problem is mostly caused by eating too much fast food or other unhealthy food, so I think that overweighted should be better adviced.

More PE lessons!!!

I see kids going to McDonald EVERYDAY after school [when I was in HK in Feb]...

But the cream cones are so cheap....:):drool:

Ok guys... eating fastfood is only one reason why people get obese.

We have the same problem here in Canada and believe me, mandatory PE lessons and banning unhealthy food and drinks do NOT help. Fastfood can only be blamed for obesity so much. Other reasons are that people are not active enough. THey do not exercise (walking does NOT count). Hong Kong should institute an athletic after-school program for students or something like that.

Mc Donalds is always a trend in HK and most schools will have a soda vending machine. Also, the HK Big Mac pack the most calories in all Mc Donalds.

I think they don't do much exercise as there are a few of public park in HK,that's just my opinion.

I think they don't do much exercise as there are a few of public park in HK,that's just my opinion.

I think HKers gets sufficient amount of exercise and the fact that most HKers commute and they do alot of walking.

I think HKers gets sufficient amount of exercise and the fact that most HKers commute and they do alot of walking.
Not really. Since the transit system is designed to offer point to point service, there isn't too much walking involved. If you really want to walk off the calories, I suggest exploring the Paris Metro and do a few transfers. Now that system has a lot of stairs and long corridors! Exercise is a major problem for HKers. Add to that a hectic lifestyle and the possibility of living a healthy life goes down even more.

1 in 5 primary school kids "fat assed"

I really think that people in Hk don't do much exercise compared with western countries. I am curious what sport is the most popular in HK and what sports they dislike. Can someone tell me?

Horseracing, soccer, sailing, wakeboarding, hiking, jogging, cycling, basketball ...

Well, mainly because people in HK are so stress from work. Most people get home after 9 and they dont have enough time...

having compulsory exercise programs for the overweighted students. :|

I was a victim of that:D

Mahjong is the most popular sport in HK, and horse racing second.

Mahjong is the most popular sport in HK, and horse racing second.

Mahjong and horse racing aren't even sports at all. They're more forms of gambling.

Football would be the most popular sport in HK followed by swimming and tennis.

Or they could follow my example.

Eat on average at McDonalds twice a day but maintain a high enough metabolism to still be fit and healthy and skinny. :)

Or they could follow my example.

Eat on average at McDonalds twice a day but maintain a high enough metabolism to still be fit and healthy and skinny. :)

But not everyone's metabolism is the same. Anyway, there are alot of choices in HK Mc Do. You don't have to order a Big Mac, you can just get something from the Fresh Choices Menu.

Hong Kong closes schools amid flu outbreak


Mar 12, 2008 06:17 PM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

HONG KONG–Hong Kong has ordered more than half a million primary and kindergarten students to stay home from school for two weeks, starting tomorrow, after three deaths amid recent outbreaks of the flu.

The outbreaks in one of the world's most densely populated cities have not been linked to bird flu, which experts fear may mutate into a form easily transmissible among humans.

That, it is feared, could spark a pandemic that some say could kill millions.

Health secretary York Chow announced late today that the government has ordered all kindergartens, primary and special education schools closed for two weeks as a growing number of students fall ill with the flu.

Chow also asked one of Hong Kong's top scientists to study possible links in the deaths of three children – a seven-year-old boy and girls ages two and three – over the past week.

"When children are at school, it's very hard to keep them still and prevent them from contacting each other," said Chow. "They may not listen to orders and wear masks or wash their hands."

"This is an effective measure from an infectious disease standpoint," Chow said, also adding that he wanted to ease worries among school administrators, parents and students.

He said, however, there is no sign of "any significant change of the virus that makes it exceptionally more virulent than the usual flu virus."

The closure will affect nearly 560,000 students at 1,745 schools, according to enrolment figures from the 2006-2007 academic year.

P.L. Ho, a scientist at the University of Hong Kong's microbiology department, said the flu cases so far are scattered across the territory, which doesn't suggest the spread of an exceptionally virulent, mutated virus.

He also said some of the younger children may have fallen unusually ill because it's their first infection with certain flu viruses.

"We need to be careful, but we don't need to panic," said another scientist, Yuen Kwok-yung, who is heading a panel of scientists to study the recent child deaths.

Yuen was one of the scientists who studied SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, when it killed 299 people here after surfacing in southern China in November 2002.

Thomas Tsang, controller of Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection, said two of the three children who died have been confirmed to have the flu.

A fourth child – a three-year-old child with the flu – is hospitalized in intensive care but in stable condition.

World Health Organization spokesman Gregory Hartl said the three deaths weren't directly related to the flu and that two had other illnesses. He said the seven-year-old boy died of encephalitis.

Hartl said the number of flu cases this influenza season in Hong Kong so far was lower than last year's figure.

Since March 6, Hong Kong health officials have recorded nine confirmed flu outbreaks and 65 suspected ones, mostly at schools, affecting a total of 532 people.

None of the cases have been linked to bird flu, which has been found in wild birds in Hong Kong recently, but hasn't crossed over to humans here lately.

Chow said he expects the outbreaks to last another few weeks.

The flu outbreaks also have led to full occupancy at some hospitals, said Hospital Authority Chief Executive Shane Solomon.

Football would be the most popular sport in HK followed by swimming and tennis.

Are you joking?

Basketball is a more popular participation sport than football. Badminton and Table Tennis more so than swimming. I doubt very many play tennis relative to those I mentioned.

The problem with the HK society is that many people don't get off work until 2000-2200, even the office workers from Central don't get off until like 0830, hence eating out is a regular activity among the working population. Leaving very little time to make home cooked meals.

For the students with the shortage of sporting grounds available throughout the territory along with a booming supply of Cybercafes and so much video games (PS2, GameCube, PSP). Add to that so many HK students have access to McDo, local Fast Food chains (such as Cafe de Coral) and so much street food available.

Tennis in Hong Kong is more of an activity that's reserved for the well-off (the wealthier residents). Adding more PE lessons in school doesn't solve the problems, due to the lack of space and it's not cost effective for many schools to implement the system.

The problem with the HK society is that many people don't get off work until 2000-2200, even the office workers from Central don't get off until like 0830, hence eating out is a regular activity among the working population. Leaving very little time to make home cooked meals.

For the students with the shortage of sporting grounds available throughout the territory along with a booming supply of Cybercafes and so much video games (PS2, GameCube, PSP). Add to that so many HK students have access to McDo, local Fast Food chains (such as Cafe de Coral) and so much street food available.

Tennis in Hong Kong is more of an activity that's reserved for the well-off (the wealthier residents). Adding more PE lessons in school doesn't solve the problems, due to the lack of space and it's not cost effective for many schools to implement the system.

I love Cafe de Coral. At least they serve some healthy stuff, as opposed to french fries or hamburgers. Though, I have to admit that McDonald's sundae are the best.

I love Cafe de Coral. At least they serve some healthy stuff, as opposed to french fries or hamburgers. Though, I have to admit that McDonald's sundae are the best.

I love Cafe de Coral and its immediate competition too, but I have to admit that many of their choices are not the figure friendly kinds. But do not eat KFC, their chicken pieces are dried out and the skin is not crispy at all, but the corn on the cob is reasonable. Too bad there ain't a place for fish n' chips other than some pubs.

If you haven't had HK style French Toast, you gotta try it.

Whatever the budget, you can always find great eats in HK.