Fat China at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre – January 12th

Fat China: How Expanding Waistlines Will Change a Nation

Evening Presentation by PAUL FRENCH ,
Founder & Chief China Representative, Asia Access
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Hong Kong Club, 1 Jackson Road, Central
Cocktail reception at 6.30 p.m., Presentation at 7.00 p.m., Close at 8.00 p.m.
$150 Asia Society members/Full-time students;
$200 Non-members (Priority to members)

More details and booking form – click here

A potentially disastrous side effect of China’s booming economy – along with pollution and a growing urban-rural income gap – is the effect that obesity will have on the country’s fragile healthcare system. Approximately 100 to 120 million people in China are obese, and around half of them are children. According to the Ministry of Education, almost 16% of urban children and young adults are considered clinically obese. This number is increasing at an astonishing rate of 8% a year, and in some of China’s major cities the rate of increase is as high as 20%.

What are the causes of this increased obesity? What can be done to alleviate the impact of this trend on the healthcare system? What are the consequences for China if this trend is not reversed? Paul French is based in Shanghai and the founder and Chief China Representative of Access Asia. Established 14 years ago, Asia Access specializes in providing information on China’s retail, distribution, and consumer goods markets. He is currently involved in working with retailers and brands on their expansion strategies in China. Mr. French is the author of a number of books on China’s history and current development including Through the Looking Glass: China’s Foreign Journalists from Opium Wars to Mao and Oil on Water: Tankers, Pirates and the Rise of China (co-authored with Sam Chambers).

RESERVATIONS: All reservations must be made in writing. ASHK cannot guarantee a seat without advance payment.
Checks should be made payable to The Asia Society Hong Kong Center Limited and mailed to Programs Department,
13/F, Baskerville House, 13 Duddell Street, Central. Credit card payments may be faxed to 2524 1099.
CONFIRMATIONS: Please consider your registration confirmed unless notified otherwise. No tickets will be issued.
Your name will be held on a list at the door, and your name badge may be collected on the day of the program.
CANCELLATIONS: Please note that no-shows will be charged. Any cancellation must be made in writing. Individual
cancellations will not be accepted less than two working days before the program.

Hong Kong Club, 1 Jackson Road, Central (Please note: No sneakers, denim or sportswear)
Cocktail reception at 6.30 p.m., Presentation at 7.00 p.m., Close at 8.00 p.m.