Hong Kong rolls out first Action Plan to strengthen city-wide weight management

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The new plan aims to not only promote a sports culture, but also develop weight monitoring habits among citizens.

In support of World Obesity Day on 4 March 2026, the HKSAR Government has introduced Hong Kong’s inaugural Action Plan on Weight Management, a multi-year strategy designed to encourage weight management and promote healthier living across the city.

Over the next three years, the Action Plan will focus on a distinct theme each year, including “Raise Awareness”, “Positive Changes”, and “Maintenance – Part of Life”, in order to drive progressive and systemic implementation of its five key directions and 15 objectives:

Key Direction I: Strengthen health education and promotion to enhance public awareness of personal weight indicators and weight management

• Objective 1: Increase awareness of weight management for all by health education
• Objective 2: Promote healthy diet from market to table
• Objective 3: Promote sports culture
• Objective 4: Provide weight management advice in various healthcare services
• Objective 5: Incorporate weight management element into global health campaigns

Key Direction II: Proactively foster a social environment that supports weight management

• Objective 6: Develop weight monitoring habits through installing measuring equipment and explanatory guidance in various venues
• Objective 7: Promote the use of sports facilities by the public and facilitate incorporation of exercise into daily life
• Objective 8: Strengthen supportive environment for healthy food choices conducive to weight management
  
• Objective 9: Targeted health promotion campaign to encourage community engagement on healthy lifestyles

Key Direction III: Strengthen health service delivery

• Objective 10: Primary Healthcare: provide personalised weight management care plan and improve referral mechanisms
  
• Objective 11: Secondary and Tertiary Healthcare: provide appropriate specialist intervention and improve referral mechanisms
  
• Objective 12: Chinese Medicine: advocate Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles through multidisciplinary management teams

Key Direction IV: Adopt a life-course approach health promotion strategy

• Objective 13: Promote weight management early and prioritise critical transition interventions across life stages

Key Direction V: Continuously monitor weight trends among Hong Kong citizens

• Objective 14: Conduct and disseminate findings of high-quality population health surveys to monitor weight trends and related health information
  
• Objective 15: Collect weight-related service data from key service providers

“Obesity is a global issue,” said Dr Edwin Tsui, the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (DH).

As such, Dr Tsui noted that the Action Plan is grounded in scientific evidence, building a strategy that spans the entire life cycle and covers the 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.

Further, the plan reinforces the role of primary healthcare as the “gatekeeper”, promotes collaboration between Chinese and Western medicine, and integrates health data through the “eHealth” platform.

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