Big Macs in Hong Kong arguably contain more fat and cholesterol than anywhere else in the world. They are the highest in calories, too, along with those dished out in the United States, according to news reports quoting figures from the fast food chain's website.

And as is the case across the world, it's children who go, with no knowledge of the price they'll have to pay for satisfying their taste buds.

No wonder Hong Kong has more obese children than ever today one in every five, according to a recent study. The city has the second highest incidence of high (bad) cholesterol among children worldwide, with type 2 diabetes cases on the rise. Unfortunately, the same phenomenon is evident on the mainland as well.

Obesity is a global epidemic. Studies show obesity in adolescents is directly associated with increased morbidity and mortality in adult life, even if people manage to lose weight later.

The United States is the most obese society in the world, followed by Australia. But despite the average weight of an American adult increasing by 4.5 kilograms since 1990, fewer US residents consider themselves overweight today than 16 years ago. This is what a drift in social norms does to a society.

But obesity is no longer confined to Western societies and the Western way of life. With globalization making the world smaller by the day, the alarm bells have started ringing in Asia too, with Hong Kong and the mainland experiencing the early stages of the obesity epidemic.

A cross-sectional survey of children in the 9-12 age group in Hong Kong has found that 38 per cent of girls and 57 per cent of boys are overweight. These overweight children show higher systolic blood pressure, triglyceride and insulin and lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels than those in the normal weight group.

The World Heart Federation estimates 5 to 10 per cent of adolescents on the mainland are obese and their number has increased 10 fold in the past eight years. Unlike in the majority of the developed world, obesity among Chinese is more likely to be associated with affluence than poverty. And that is precisely where the problem lies.

People in the Asian "world city" Hong Kong are already used to the Western lifestyle. And as the mainland's economy grows further, more people are expected to become better off across its vast expanse and adopt Western food habits. The more they earn, the more they eat out. The more they eat out, the more extra fat and calories they take in. And the richer they get, the less physical exercise they do.

It's pointless, therefore, to blame Western food alone for the malaise. It's a reality we have to face: An increase in people's incomes prompting them to replace the traditional diet with the worst type of Western food. Call it the ills of affluence, if you will.

But even the most balanced diets can make a child (and adult) obese if he just spends his time in front of a TV set or computer screen. Hong Kong's countless playgrounds, gyms and parks make obesity seem like a crime. It's here that parents have a significant role to play. They not only have to decide what is good for their children, but also have to learn what is good for themselves. If that means a change in food habits, lifestyle and outlook, so be it.

If more and more children are getting obese, it's their parents, not the unsuspecting children, who are ignorant of the dangers of the obesity epidemic.

A person free of disease is not necessarily healthy. Health depends on physical, psychological and social factors, and obesity can play a negative role in all three.

And more than the children, it's the parents who should be aware of this. They need to be physically fit before lecturing their kids on fitness. Shouldn't they practise what they preach?

Email: zouhr@chinadaily.com.hk

(China Daily 03/10/2006 page4)