SSM: Super-aged society and new trends pose big challenges for Macau

[Photo; Renato Marques]

Macau’s aging population and new food trends among younger generations are major challenges for local health authorities, representatives from the Health Bureau (SSM) said yesterday.

The officials were speaking at a press conference organized by the bureau to offer tips on how to eat healthier during the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) festive season.

Questioned by the media on the matter, Dr. Lei Chong Iok, a physician of internal medicine at the Conde de São Januário Hospital Center (CHCSJ), said that, along with the super-aging society, which naturally brings challenges related to old age, there are other trends among younger generations that are also concerning.

“We have changed our habits, and now we have a new trend of consuming a lot of Western-style food and takeaway meals. This trend is not exclusive to Macau but is a worldwide trend that also affects us,” Lei said, adding that the SSM is taking this opportunity during the festive season to alert people, particularly about the harmful effects of excessive salt, sugar, and fat in the diet.

“Our purpose is to help people become more knowledgeable and learn how to enjoy the festive season food and, at the same time, prevent diseases,” Lei remarked.

Although unable to provide precise data, Lei said there is a clear growing trend of abnormal indicators detected in physical examinations of younger residents, especially related to hyperlipidemia (excessive fat, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, in the bloodstream) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), which in some cases points to the early stages of type 2 diabetes.

As for solutions, Dr. Lei pointed out that the best approach is to promote good habits that involve controlling excessive and poor-quality eating, combined with regular physical exercise.

In an earlier presentation, Dr. Lei noted that according to SSM data, the average consumption of sodium in Macau is around 4,310 milligrams per day, which is 216% higher than the ceiling established by the World Health Organization of 2,000 mg (or under 5 grams of salt, about a teaspoon).

He remarked that people are often aware of the idea of a maximum of a teaspoon of salt per day, but they forget that most foods they eat already have very high sodium content, particularly processed foods, snacks, and condiments.

Earlier, in a different presentation, Lam Ieok Hang, a dietitian from the Tap Seac Health Center, explained that in addition to reducing salt, sugar, and fat in the diet, people should also follow a food intake order to help them eat better.

This order starts with a clear soup, followed by vegetables and meat or fish as a “third dish.” Only after this should people consume carbs, and they should always prefer fruits over desserts.

Additional care should be taken while consuming traditional CNY foods like “Poon Choi,” and note that traditional CNY cakes, like “Turnip Cake” (Lo Bak Go) and others made with glutinous rice flour and sugar, such as the famous “CNY sticky cake” (Nin Go), have a high caloric content, in some cases over 100 calories per slice, as noted by Ip Ka Kei, a dietitian in the Division of Health Promotion of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the case of “Poon Choi,” she noted that people should prefer those with a higher content of mushrooms and vegetables and less fatty meat.