The Department of Health today commended over 50 organisations for promoting active lifestyles, involving regular physical activity, and healthier diets with reduced salt intake.

Addressing the “I'm So Smart” Community Health Promotion Programme Recognition Ceremony, Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Edwin Tsui said that Hong Kong faces a growing threat from non-communicable diseases. Unhealthy diets and insufficient physical activity are two of the behavioural risk factors responsible for these diseases.

In 2024-25, the programme will continue to promote reductions in sedentary behaviour and encourage people to make a habit of taking part in physical activities. The programme will also emphasise the importance of a healthy diet, including adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables.

The department’s Population Health Survey 2020-22 found that 24.8% of people aged 18 or above did not meet the levels of aerobic physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The same survey also observed that 97.9% of people aged 15 or above had inadequate daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

The WHO recommended that healthy adults aged 18 to 64 should perform at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or at least 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week.

The department called on adults and adolescents aged 12 to 17 to eat at least two servings of fruit and at least three servings of vegetables every day.

The programme, which was launched in 2012, had around 70 participating organisations last year, including the Housing Authority, Healthy Cities Projects and non-governmental organisations. Participating organisations organised a variety of activities to promote healthy eating and regular physical activity and attracted a total attendance of more than 47,000 in 2023.