Survey implications
Sylvia Lam
Chairlady, Hong Kong Dietitian Association
Accredited Practicing Dietitian of
the Dietitians Association of Australia
Which one has the highest energy level
(per 100g or ml)?
Energy levels ranking
( from highest to lowest)
1
350 kcal/100 g
4
48 kcal/100 mL
2
310 kcal/100 g
5
44 kcal/100 ml
3
130 kcal/100 g
6
37 kcal/100 ml
“…100 mL soft drink has a higher energy level
than a 100 g pineapple bun”
People in Hong Kong could not correctly estimate
the energy levels of common foods and beverages
“…I know how many calories I need 1,000 kcal per day”
50% of people in Hong Kong do not know
their energy needs
70% do not consider their energy needs before eating
Energy
• Energy supports and maintains the daily
operation/metabolism of the human body1
• Energy requirements depend on age, gender, body
weight and activity levels1
• Units of energy in food is depicted by kilocalories (kcal
or cal) and kilojoules (kJ or Joule)
1. Centre for Food Safety (Available at: http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_nifl/files/Energy_E.pdf)
Dietitian’s advice…..
Understanding the energy and nutrient information of
the foods and beverages you eat can help you make
informed dietary choices and benefits weight
management
Energy recommendations1,2
Age
11 - 17
2,400 – 2,900
kcal
2,200 – 2,400
kcal
18 – 49
2,420 – 3,278
kcal
1,955 – 2,280
kcal
1. Chinese Nutrition Society (China)
2. Centre of Food Safety (Hong Kong)
Principles of weight management
Calorie in (food intake)
Calorie out (physical activity)
“…a balanced diet means no ice-cream,
potato chips, chocolate and soft drinks”
44% said some foods and beverages
cannot be part of a balanced diet
Position Statement (2007) of
American Dietetic Association
All foods can fit within a healthy diet, if consumed in appropriate portion size
and combined with regular physical activity.
“Energy balance is the key to weight management”
- American Dietetic Association
* Excludes people with chronic diseases
“…Diet control is more important than
exercise for weight management ”
70% misunderstand the principles of
weight management
Which of the following is the most effective
way of weight management?
A. Controlling diet only (limit calorie intake)
B. Increasing physical activities only (but no diet control)
C. Controlling both diet and increasing physical activity
Controlling both diet and
increasing physical activities
References：
International Journal Obesity 1997;21:941–947
Obesity Reviews 2009; 10, 313 – 323
International Journal Obesity 2005;29:1168–1174
Exercise Sport Sciecne Review 2000;28:165–170
Weight management in Hong Kong:
people focus too much on diet control
VS
Weight management:
diet control and exercise are equally important!!
VS
“…It’s hard to burn calories”
43% said it’s hard to burn calories
How to burn 140 kcal?
Half of a pineapple bun
330 mL soft drink
Burning calories is easier than you think
Examples of how to burn 140 kcal
Walking upstairs:
20 minutes
Basketball game:
20 minutes*
* WebMD Fitness and Exercise Calorie Calculator. Based on the body weight of 120 lb
Shopping:
1 hour and 5 minutes*
Physical activity
guidelines for healthy adults under age 651
• Perform moderately intense cardio exercise for 30 minutes a
day, 5 days a week. E.g brisk walking.
OR
• Perform vigorously intense cardio exercise for 20 minutes a
day, 3 days a week, E.g. jogging.
AND
• Perform 8 to 10 groups of strength-training exercise,8 to 12
repetitions of each exercise, twice a week.
Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry
on a conversation.
1. American College of Sports Medicine. Available at:
http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7764
“…I don’t feel it’s necessary
to read the nutrition label”
About 90% of people in Hong Kong do not read the
nutrition label on the back of pack of foods and
beverages
Everyone should read nutrition label
before purchasing
3
simple steps
to reading a nutrition label
1.
Take note of the reference food amount in
the nutrition label
Nutrient content is expressed in several ways:
•Per 100 g or ml
•Per serving
•Per packaging
Source: Centre for Food Safety
2. Read and compare by using
“per 100 g or ml”
Biscuit A
Source: Centre for Food Safety
Biscuit B
3. Use “per serving” to calculate the
energy and nutrient intake
Corn flake C
Milk A
Soup B
Source: Centre for Food Safety
Quick comparison in reading the nutrition label:
“3 Low”
Sugar
Fat
Sodium
High sugars:
15g per 100g or ml
or above
High fat:
20g per 100g or ml
or above
High sodium:
600mg per 100g or ml
or above
Low sugar:
No more than or equal
to 5g per 100g or ml
Low fat:
• not more than or
equal to 3g per 100g
• not more than or
equal to 1.5g per
100ml
Low sodium:
No more than or equal
to 120 mg per 100 g or
ml
Fat free:
No more than or equal
to 0.5g per 100g or ml
Sodium free:
No more than or equal
to 5mg per 100 g or ml
Sugars free:
No more than or equal
to 0.5g per 100g or ml
Very low sodium:
no more than or equal
to 40mg per 100g or ml
57% of people do not know where to can
find a qualified dietitians.
Find qualified dietitians at HKDA website:
www.hkda.com.hk
Take Home Message…
• More public education is needed to improve
understanding of energy and nutrition
information
• Encourage people to read nutrition label
before purchasing
• Food and beverage companies should provide
factual and easy to read nutrition label for
consumers to make informed dietary choice
Thank you!