Hong Kong's inaugural Action Plan on Weight Management launched to build healthy and vibrant city
In response to the national Weight Management Year initiative and the World Health Organization (WHO)'s WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity global framework, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government launched Hong Kong's inaugural Action Plan on Weight Management today (March 4) to support World Obesity Day. The Action Plan outlines five key directions and pools the strengths of various government bureaux and departments to enhance collaboration between Chinese and Western medicine. It aims to achieve 15 specific objectives through various activities and approaches, comprehensively driving weight management across Hong Kong and working with citizens to build a healthy and vibrant city.
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"Obesity is a global issue. The Government has always been concerned about the adverse health effects of obesity on members of the public and has been promoting healthy lifestyles comprehensively. The Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address further emphasised the HKSAR Government's commitment to raising public awareness regarding weight management, drawing on relevant national and WHO policy frameworks. This includes strengthening health education and promotion, creating a social environment conducive to weight management, strengthening health service delivery, adopting a life-course approach health promotion strategy, and continuously monitoring weight trends. To this end, the HKSAR Government established an interdepartmental Weight Management Working Group in October 2025 to co-ordinate policies in healthcare, education, recreation and culture, urban planning, and other areas, promoting multisectoral efforts across government, industry, academia, and the community. The Working Group will implement measures in phases according to annual themes and regularly monitor progress against a set of specific key performance indicators to ensure the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Action Plan," the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH), Dr Edwin Tsui, said.
Dr Edwin Tsui, Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Dr Tsui emphasised that the Action Plan is based on scientific evidence, building a systematic strategy that spans the entire life cycle and covers the entire social environment. From prenatal nutrition, habit formation during school years, and health management for working adults to maintaining physical function in the elderly, it provides appropriate support at every key stage of life. More importantly, the Action Plan aims to strengthen the role of primary healthcare as the "gatekeeper", promoting collaboration between Chinese and Western medicine and integrating health data through the "eHealth" platform, to support citizens in managing their health, allowing traditional wisdom and modern evidence-based medicine to complement each other in safeguarding the health of citizens.
The Action Plan will be implemented over three years, with each year focusing on a distinct theme, including "Raise Awareness," "Positive Changes," and " Maintenance - Part of Life ", in order to implement the five key directions and 15 objectives (see annex) systematically and progressively. The full text of the Action Plan has been uploaded to the DH's "Change4Health" thematic website. All sectors of society are welcome to share the details and fulfil health commitments together.
According to the recommendation of the WHO Western Pacific Region for Asian adults, adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 23 and less than 25 are considered overweight, while those with a BMI of 25 or above are considered obese. As revealed by the Population Health Survey 2020-22 conducted by the DH, over half of Hong Kong's adult population is overweight or obese. Obesity is a risk factor for various non-communicable diseases, including the "Three Highs" (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia), stroke, and some common cancers. Studies showed that overweight women have nearly three times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to the general population, while men have nearly twice the risk. Moreover, overweight is significantly associated with other comorbidities such as osteoarthritis and chronic back pain.
During the preparation of the Action Plan, the DH collaborated closely with various government departments and organisations, pooling multidisciplinary expertise. All participating units will work together in the future to implement the weight management measures outlined in the Action Plan.
Among these, the Education Bureau will further integrate messages about weight management and healthy living into school practices. Through school activities and home-school co-operation, students will be assisted in developing habits of monitoring their weight and practising healthy lifestyles from a young age. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will continue to make good use of its sports facilities and community sports programmes to create a community environment conducive to weight management. It will promote the importance of weight management and regular physical activity, encouraging the public to actively participate in recreational and sports activities and incorporate exercise into their daily lives.
The theme for the first year of the Action Plan is "Raise Awareness". The Government is launching the regularised Walking Challenge under the "10 000 Steps a Day" Campaign on the e+Life platform (within the "eHealth" mobile app) from March 21 onwards, encouraging the public to explore different featured routes with family and friends and incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. Moreover, a launching ceremony and carnival will be held on March 21 at the Art Park of the West Kowloon Cultural District - Harbourside West Lawn to promote healthy lifestyles to families of all ages. Members of the public are welcome to join from 12.30pm to 4pm at the venue.
The DH urges the public to support the Action Plan, starting with being aware of their own weight indicators and actively participating in community health activities. Enterprises and institutions should implement workplace health promotion measures, while schools and families work together to cultivate a healthy new generation. Only with the concerted efforts of all sectors can Hong Kong become a healthier and more vibrant city.
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