UE Presentation
“Over dependence on fast food is creating a
generation of overweight, unfit young people.” Do
you agree that the impact of McDonald’s, KFC, and
Café de Coral has been negative, or do these
places serve a useful purpose in the fast paced life
of the 21st century?
What is obesity?
• A person is considered obese if his BMI
(body mass index) is greater than 23.0
• BMI = Weight (kg)/ height x height (m)
<19
20-23
24-35
>35
underweight
Normal weight
Over weight
Extreme overweight
Current situation
Fact about Obesity among Hong
Kong young people
• The statistics of the Department of Health
revealed that:
- 1. 1 out of every 5 primary school children is
obese
- 2. obesity rate of primary school students has
increased by 3% from 1997 to 2005
• Among students who attended the Student
Health Service
• 1. Overweight primary students increased
from 15.9% to 18.7% from 1997 to 2004
• 2. Overweight secondary students
increased from 13.2% to 15.8% from 1997
to 2004
•  Overweight problem is getting more
serious and has an increasing trend
According to the AC Nielsen survey:
- Hong Kong has the greatest market
percentage of population that eats at fast
food restaurants at least once a week
Market Percentage of Population That Eats at Fast food
restaurants at least once a week
30%
29%
Hong Kong
Malaysia
61%
35%
59%
37%
54%
41%
44%
50%
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
China
India
USA
Australia
New Zealand
 This shows that Hong Kong hungers for fast
food
How fast food causing obesity in
Hong Kong?
• Findings from Natural Journal:
Trans-fat (usually found in fast food)
making people nearly one-third
fatter than other fats that contain the
same caloric content
• Fast food usually contains
high sugar and salt content
• Fast food industry uses a lot
of oil during the production of
food
• The movie ‘Super Size Me’ illustrated that how fast food
causing obesity
In the movie, Morgan Spurlock
- dined at McDonald's restaurants three times per day
- sampling every item on the chain's menu at least
once
- consumed an average of 5,000 calories per day
during the experiment.
for 30 days
There are regulations during the experiment
• He must fully eat three McDonald's meals per day.
• He must eat every item on the McDonald's menu at least
once
• He must only ingest items on the menu. (including bottled
water)
• He must eat a McDonald's salad every tenth meal.
• He must maximize his meal
• He must only walk 5,000 steps per day.
After 30 days
• Spurlock gained 24.5 pounds
• Body fat increased by 7%
• having other physical and mental problems
Problems caused by fast food
• Mental problems:
- moody, depressed and exhausted
- Physical problems: heart failure, heat
disease, diabetes, high blood pressure
• The movie showed that the problem of
obesity is strongly related to the popularity of
fast food
• Mc Donald’s and KFC has more than 100
and about 70 branches in Hong Kong
respectively
• So it is believed that the overweight problem
among young people is strongly related to
the popularity of fast food in Hong Kong
Other factors causing child obesity in HK
•
•
•
•
•
Genetic factors
Energy imbalance
Junk food
Lack of exercise
Schools do not provide enough Physical
Education lesson
Findings
• Mr. Joul, owner of a French fast food restaurant
in Central said that
• - Although fast food industry does create
overweight problem in HK
• - It also brings positive impact to HK
 HK people have a fast-paced life, it is convenient
for people who are in rush
 People can get a meal in a short time
 Provide many job opportunities for people (esp.
teenagers) to work and minimizes social
problems (unemployment)
• He noticed that
increasing demand for healthy and quality
food from Hong Kong people
Fast food industry is providing healthier
food to customers now
He is using less oil, salt and fewer
calories in his product