Overweight and obese youth are likely to stay obese into adulthood. They are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. They are also at greater risk for bone and joint problems, fatty liver disease and sleep apnea. Obesity can also lead to social and psychological impacts such as stigmatisation, poor body image, low self-esteem and low confidence. Overweight and obesity, however, are largely preventable by adopting an active and healthy lifestyle. 

 

For more information on overweight and obesity among youth, please refer to the following websites: 

Student Health Service

Change 4 Health 

 

 

(2)  Detection rate of overweight and obesity of secondary school students by sex from school year 2010/11 to 2019/20.

 

• Overweight (including obesity) is defined as body weight > 120% of the median weight-for-height for male students with height between 55 and 175 cm and for female students with height between 55 and 165 cm; and BMI ≥25 for male students with height >175cm and for female students with height >165cm.
• These growth standards were developed locally according to the findings of a territory-wide survey on 25 000 individuals ranging from birth to 18 years old conducted in 1993 by the Department of Health, the Hospital Authority and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
• * Annual health assessment had been suspended since 29.1.2020 in 2019/20 school year due to COVID-19. In view of serious service disruption affecting the number and pattern of attending students in 2019/20 school year, direct comparison of the data in 2019/20 with that of previous years has to be done with caution.