Many Hong Kong men think they're slimmer than they are, obesity campaigners say

Thirty per cent of men who described themselves as fit in a survey were actually overweight or obese.

Doctors behind the study said the findings showed that Hongkongers had a misconception about body shapes because they tended to compare themselves with people around them who were equally unfit.

At the other extreme, about 20 per cent of women who regarded themselves as fit were actually underweight, according to body mass index readings. For Asian people, a BMI reading of 23 to 24.9 is classified as overweight, while 25 and above is obese.

The survey of 500 men and women aged 18 to 60 was conducted by the public opinion programme of the University of Hong Kong and commissioned by the Obesity Awareness Alliance, a new group founded by four doctors.

Co-convenor Dr Yeung Yat-wah said people lacked awareness of the health risks of obesity.

"Fatter people are at greater risk of suffering from chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and cancer," he said, adding that colorectal cancer was a particular hazard.