A health survey has found that over 20 percent of Hong Kong people aged 15 or older are obese, Hong Kong's Department of Health said Thursday.

The Population Health Survey, which covered more than 7,000, was commissioned by the Department of Health in 2003-04. It found that 22.3 percent of men and 20 percent of women were obese.

The survey also showed another 20.1 percent of the male interviewees and 15.9 percent of the female interviewees were overweight.

Senior medical officer of the department's Central Health and Education Unit (CHEU) Ho Mei-lin said people are considered overweight if their Body Mass Index is 23 or above, and obese if it is 25 or more.

"With the compilation of this report, we hope to arouse public awareness of the problem of obesity and to encourage health promotion organizations and community groups to adopt evidence-based initiatives in the management of obesity and excessive weight," Ho said.

"The report can also facilitate planning and development of strategies for tackling obesity by adopting a healthy lifestyle which is necessary and essential to address the problem of obesity, " she added.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2005)