21-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Diet plight of shoebox children Hong Kong's shame
The problems with subdivided living spaces in Hong Kong have been so well covered that there is probably no need for more reports to prompt tighter regulations.
But a recent study on malnourished children living in such shameful shoebox dwellings is yet another reason for swift action by the government. Officials must not shy away from taking resolute and timely decisions to outlaw substandard units.
According to humanitarian organisation World Vision Hong Kong, nearly four in five children in subdivided households suffer different degrees of insufficient nutrition intake.
For instance, more than 86.4 per cent were found not to be eating enough dairy products and 76.2 per cent were not meeting the recommended intake of vegetables. Those who needed to consume more meat and grain accounted for 60 per cent and 49 per cent respectively.
Serious concerns have been raised as the shortfalls are apparently higher than the average among local children.
Adding to the problem is that low-income families may not realise children have poor diets until health problems, such as delayed growth and constipation, emerge.
