Hong Kong
One-third of Hong Kong adults gain weight amid 5th wave of Covid-19 pandemic, survey finds
- 2022-06-21
- By: Lokman YuenEdited by: C.K. Lau
- 2022-06-21
One in three Hongkongers have put on about 10% of their body weight because of a lack of outdoor activities since the outbreak of the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study by the Hong Kong Obesity Society has found. The online questionnaire survey of 559 adults was conducted from May 27 to June 6. It found that 53% of the respondents with BMI 25 or above (considered as obese for an Asian adult) and about one-fourth of those with BMI 18.5 - 22.9 have gained weight. Among those who have put on weight, 66% have seen their body weight increased by 5-10%, 16% by 10-15% and 13% by more than 15%. The researchers said the weight gain was driven by two reasons: the resumption of dining in services at restaurants and reduced physical exercise. They survey found that 44% of the respondents wanted to dine out following the relaxation of dining-in restrictions last month as they feared the restrictions may be restored should the pandemic worsen again. Another 38% said they had avoided outdoor activities to stay safe and refrained from exercising with their masks on because it was uncomfortable. The study also found that obesity discrimination still exists in Hong Kong, with over 60% of the respondents believing that people who are overweight are more likely to be too lazy to exercise and to indulge in binging. In fact, the researchers said many obesity patients have difficulties losing weight for medical reasons and discrimination discourages them from seeking medical help. Tsui Tsum-miu, president of the Hong Kong Obesity Society, said the medical sector and many members of the public solely focused on serious cases of obesity and ignored the less severe ones. More community efforts should be directed towards supporting obesity patients, he said.
Election Committee poll sees ‘patriots’ fill hundreds of seats on body to appoint Hong Kong’s leader next year in first poll after system revamp; delay in results had candidates waiting overnight
- 2021-09-20
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: Nick Yang、Ziyu Bruce ZhaoEdited by: LAMA Sumnima Rani
- 2021-09-20
The polls for Hong Kong’s Election Committee closed last night ending the city’s first election since Beijing revamped the electoral system in March. According to official statistics, 4,380 people cast their ballots, a turnout of about 90%, a record-high rate despite a drastic reduction in the number of eligible voters this year. All but one of the Election Committee seats went to the pro-establishment camp, with 412 candidates competing for 364 elected seats. The remaining seats on the 1,500-member committee were appointed, filled by ex-officio members or automatically elected. The committee will select Hong Kong’s next Chief Executive next year as well as appoint 40 members to the Legislative Council. “The turnout reflects the support of members of various sub sectors for the new electoral system,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said in a press release. Voting results were delayed until 7:30 am today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, with Electoral Affairs Commission chairman Barnabas Fung Wah apologising for problems with the ballot verification papers, likely because officials filled in the wrong boxes, he said at a press conference. The central government reforms included reviewing candidate backgrounds, increasing the number of ex-officio members and raising the requirements for the qualifications of voters. The number of eligible voters dropped from 246,440 to about 4,900. "The automatic election of members from many sectors and the stop of non-patriots have led to a reduction in voters, which actually makes the election more fair," Legislative Council member Lau Kwok-fan said. Daniel Cai, a Hong Kong resident, said he did not pay attention to the election since Beijing changed the electoral system. “I belong to no valid sector, so I don’t have the right to vote for the representatives,” he said. “Before the reform of the election, I could vote for …
Hong Kong government misses the "Spark" on technology
- 2019-01-22
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Phoebe LaiEdited by: Vanessa Yung、Amy Ho
- 2019-01-22
"We may be losing out on talents because of gender stereotype, but the issue here is our government need to understand the importance of technology and make policy changes accordingly," said Charles Peter Mok, Legislative Council member for the IT functional constituency, last Sunday at a discussion panel. Four leading figures in the IT industry attended the SPARK discussion panel the other day commenting on gender biases and how to make technology meaningful to people in Hong Kong, including Mok, Esther Ho Yuk-fan, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters, Liu Candy, general manager of the HKC Technology and co-chairman of the Hong Kong Computer Society FACE Club and Jacqui Speculand, course director at the School of Media and Performing Arts in Coventry University. Mok expressed that the slow changes on study curriculums’ policy were not encouraging enough students in Hong Kong because it has been starting to allocate funding to the innovation sector since last year’s budget. Speculand of Coventry University, who teaches in HK THEi, stressed that students were generally “single-minded” because the study environment in Hong Kong lacked “the freedom to choose.” "Some of my students once told me they were not as good as the others because they failed the exam (DSE) which was heartbreaking to hear," Speculand added. Ho emphasized that school curriculums need to change in a way which would help students make sense of their learning by building connections between the subjects they are studying and their future career. "You need to educate students that technology is a part of life," Ho explained. According to Liu, who first formed the Hong Kong Computer Society FACE Club together with her 9 other like-minded individuals, the significance of technology has actually been present in various fields of profession such as …
Getting Away from Petty People
- 2017-03-16
- People
- 2017-03-16
Did 2016 go well for you? If not, consider hiring a ‘petty person beater' to beat away the bad luck.
Public education is key to rooting out workplace sexual harassment
- 2013-10-14
- Politics
- 2013-10-14
A lot of cases of sexual harassment in the workplace have gone unreported mainly due to inadequate public awareness, say experts.
Working mothers' struggle: Lack of support in the workplace hampers breastfeeding
- 2013-10-14
- 2013-10-14
As government tries to promote breastfeeding by banning advertising for formula milk, practical problems faced by working mothers trying to breastfeed their babies go unresolved.
Cover Story: In God we occupy, say religious leaders
- 2013-10-14
- Politics
- 2013-10-14
Local Christian activists are leading the Occupy Central campaign, triggering a debate over whether their religious convictions will have skewed the civil disobedience movement deemed as Hong Kong's last-ditch attempt to win universal suffrage.