Promotion of Nutrition Science

Balanced Diet Plans Will Help Hong Kong People to Maintain Fitness

Introduction

This essay is aimed at showing nutrition science can help Hong Kong people to maintain fitness by advising healthy consuming manners. According to a local survey (DH & DUHKCDM 2005) conducted in 2003, 17.8% and 21.0% of Hong Kong people are considered as overweight and obese, respectively. However, unhealthy weight control behaviors, predominantly starvation, are prevalent among adolescents (a 2005 unpublished thesis by Choi Y-C; unreferenced, see “Notes”) and women (a 2003 unpublished pamphlet by Ming Ai She Qu Fu Wu; unreferenced, see “Notes”). In the essay the back ground theory of balanced diet plans, how balanced diet plans will help Hong Kong people keep fit and improve their lives, and its significance for Hong Kong as a whole will be discussed.

Background

Nutrition is the science studying the relationship between nutrition, human body and health. Balanced diet plans according to the science are helpful for people to reduce weight healthily. Human beings daily consume the six essential nutrients that bodies need but cannot produce, which are carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and water (Williams 2002). Fats and carbohydrates are the two energy supplying nutrients that will result in positive energy balance and thus obesity when over-consumed (William 2002). A series of balanced diet plans provided by nutritionist will help dieter to reduce calories intake by changing the combination of foods they consume. There are different plans like exchange plans, fixed meal diets, and formula diets (Grosvenor and Smolin 2002), for satisfying different need of various people. Fitness and good health can be maintained by taking such balanced diets, which are less expensive and more convenient compared to taking drugs and doing exercises. In the recent decades nutrition in Hong Kong is developing rapidly, as shown by the increase in full papers in Medline (Karlberg...