The problem of obesity has been found out to be a growing issue globally. The causes are dependent on various reasons including 1) diet related causes, 2) parental influences (i. e. if parents are obese by birth their children have a higher probability of developing obesity because of the genetic factor from their parents), 3) eating habits, 4) climatic changes occurring from a shift from one country to another. Changes in dietary pattern has been considered contributory to the increase in obesity incidence, particularly shifting away from home- made food (Taveras, 2005) Hong Kong is a busy centre where people from all over the world live.
As a result, the numbers of restaurants is increasing on a daily basis, offering multi-Cuisine food items. This also in turn varies in nutritional values when comparing with what the native people of Hong Kong prepare at home. Moreover one important thing should be noted that the apartments are comparatively small to accompany larger number of relatives and family members, as a result the people in Hong Kong, especially natives of Hong Kong, prefer to visit restaurants now and to conduct a family meeting or function, this has paved the way for choosing variety of food preparations form out side and the sense of taste has also increased.
Meanwhile, the nutritional value differs widely by doing so; that is, in some cuisines there is more cholesterol or fat content, while there is more nutritional value in others. It is advised that nutritional value should be present in balanced proportion, since taking more than is required may also lead to obesity. The food culture of Hong Kong is obviously influenced by other western and Asian continents. People are more likely to enjoy the taste of a wide variety of food, and either mingled with native cuisines or mixed multi-cuisine style.
An increase in the number of snack bars is also a factor which may have contributed to the food habits of people. These variety of foods include snacks and food stuffs with various nutritional values, calorie and fat levels, use of oil, readymade ingredients, among others. These may have lead to the increase in obesity in Hong Kong. This problem is found even among children. Nowadays, the concept of healthy eating seems to be decreasing.
Empirical studies suggest that obesity is one of the complicated problems which leads to various diseases and effects, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The diet related factors should be analysed within the work and home settings, encompassing settings such as restaurants, canteens, snack bars, etc. This dissertation is based on the comparative study of nutrition related factors, showing a direct comparison of individuals with normal weight and those categorised as obese. This involves quantitative analyses, specific to Hong Kong.