HONG KONG

Teenagers in Hong Kong are eating their way to sickness. They are more prone to allergic diseases than their counterparts in other Asian countries. A study says that Hong Kong has the highest number of young allergic patients among Asian countries. Higher consumption of fastfood is being seen as one of the reasons leading to allergic diseases. Interestingly, the least number of asthma incidences were found in the highly polluted Guangzhou city in China. The study found 12.4 per cent of 13 to 14-year-olds surveyed to be suffering from asthma. Besides, they suffered the highest proportion of rhinitis - inflammation inside the nose with itchiness, sneezing, nasal discharge and blocked passages - with 44.5 per cent incidence. According to some investigators, there has been a major change in the eating habits of people with the entry of fast food with high-salt content.