A balanced diet contributes to good health. It shall include a variety of foods providing appropriate calorie and nutrients. Members of the public are advised to follow the principles of the Healthy Eating Food Pyramid and include the five basic food groups (i.e. grains; fruit; vegetables, meat along with fish, eggs and legumes; milk and milk products) and be active in decreasing fat, salt and sugar intake. Micronutrients, e.g. iodine and iron, are also essential in healthy diet.

 

Imbalanced diet may lead to obesity or specific nutrient deficiency. These in turn may increase the risk of a variety of health problems, such as heart diseases, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and some cancers. Inadequate dietary iodine intake gives rise to iodine deficiency which may result in goitre and hypothyroidism as well as a spectrum of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) including impaired mental functioning. Inadequate iron intake or excess iron loss (e.g. during menstruation for female) can both lead to iron deficiency (ID). Prolonged deficiency may result in iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), causing fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance, as well as affecting cognitive functions in children. IDA in early pregnancy is associated with increased risks of preterm labour, low birthweight baby, and infant mortality.

 

 

Population Health Survey 2020-22 revealed that 97.9% (97.8% for females and 98.2% for males) of persons aged 15 or above reported consuming an average of less than five servings of fruit and vegetables per day. The survey also revealed that 25.4%, 51.6% and 28.9% of persons aged 15 or above ate preserved vegetables, processed meat and snacks with high salt content, respectively, on average at least once a week. Based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) epidemiological criteria for assessing iodine nutrition (median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) 100-199 μg/L is classified as adequate iodine intake), iodine intake was insufficient with mild iodine deficiency status for persons aged 35 or above (median UIC of persons aged 35 to 54 and 55 to 84 was 92.7 μg/L and 79.8 μg/L respectively), while persons aged 15 to 34 (median UIC was 107.5 μg/L) was classified with adequate iodine intake. Based on WHO’s recommendations for assessing local prevalence of ID (a cut-off value of serum ferritin below 15 μg/L) among healthy adolescents and adults, the prevalence of ID among persons aged 15 to 84 was about 5.7%, whereas that for women of reproductive age (aged 15 to 49) reached 17.5%. The prevalence of men and women of post-menopausal age was 0.7% and 2.7% respectively. Also, remarkable difference in prevalence of IDA between men (0.3%) and women (6.4%) was observed. Prevalence of IDA was higher among women of reproductive age (10.6%) than women of post-menopausal age (2.1%).

 

 

Adequate amounts of fruit and vegetable intake is an essential component of healthy eating. WHO recommends a daily intake of at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables (about 5 servings of fruit and vegetables) for the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart diseases, hypertension, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes and certain cancers. To prevent IDDs, one can consume iodine-rich foods and use iodised salt instead of ordinary table salt, while keeping total salt intake below 5 g (1 teaspoon) per day to lower the risk of raised blood pressure. Adequate iron intake can be achieved by a healthy balanced diet with iron-rich food. Women of reproductive age have a higher risk of iron loss during menstruation and hence a higher daily requirement for iron. They should pay particular attention to their diet to ensure adequate iron intake.

 

There is sufficient evidence in humans that consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer. Members of the public are urged to avoid processed meat and associated products.

 

 

To learn more about healthy diet and the Food Pyramid, please visit the "Change for Health" website. Recommendations on daily energy consumption and information on composition & nutrients in commonly consumed food could be found at Nutrient Information Inquiry of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.