Contemporary food habits of the Hong Kong Chinese and their implications for the health and wellbeing of the individual and family

Traditionally, South East Asia’s ‘rice culture’ has enjoyed the healthiest of diets. The diet was high in complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre, and low in fat. However, with the changes in lifestyle over the past decade and the introduction of Western-style food, trendy eating is now undermining people’s health and family life. There has been increased concern about the food habits of the people in Hong Kong in relation to health and nutritional disorders. This paper reflects critically on the current food culture in Hong Kong, and explores the means to adopt an updated dialogue with health conscious food habits for nutritional health and wellbeing of individuals and families. The paper begins with a study of the trends and directions of the contemporary food culture. It then examines the various factors underpinning such trends and their implications for health. Finally, it addresses the need to keep people better informed about nutrition and wise food choices. Copyright © 2002 HEIA.