簡介
Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focussing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
最新
15/09/2024
網上直播完畢稍後提供節目重溫。 Archive will be available after live webcast
Hello, Chiropractic health is essential for children’s health. It starts with detecting their vertebral subluxation from early childhood through posture analysis (including scoliosis, round back, high/low shoulder, forward head posture, and forward pelvic tilt) and detailed chiropractic examination. We strengthen the maintenance of spinal and nerve health through regular chiropractic adjustment and spinal exercise to enhance the efficacy of the nervous system which will help children live healthily and realize their potential.
The COVID-19 pandemic did significant damage to children’s spinal health, largely because they were moving much less. At the same time, schools were closed hence more reliant on electronic devices for Zoom classes and entertainment which unfortunately has led to addiction. We found 31.82% of kids spent more than 3 hours daily within the evaluated group which is 6 times more than the data in 2019 (5.49% in 2019 to 31.82% in 2022*). This combined with poor posture has led to increased occurrence of postural problems and vertebral subluxation, thus causing pain conditions, which include headache, chest pain, shoulder and ankle pain, lower back pain, and numbness.
According to our surveyed record, 66.7% of children suffering from scoliosis in having pain conditions, traceable to spinal disorders. A vertebral subluxation can put physical pressure on the spinal nerves and nervous system, causing various further disorders such as more aching, appetite loss, attention deficit, coordination issues, and respiratory problems.
Statistics for 2019 and 2023 all show general increases in various postural problems including scoliosis, round back, high/low shoulder, forward head posture, and forward pelvic tilt. In 2019, around 79% (5373/6807kids) of kids had spinal problems, it was close to 90% (5673/6313kids) in 2023. It indicates that the problems are getting more serious.
Our data showed that suspected scoliosis had the biggest rise in occurrence within the evaluated group from 23.95% (1489/6807 kids) in 2019 to 28.31% in 2021(2347/8290 kids). In addition, the number of school children with suspected scoliosis has approximately doubled, from 34.3% in 2022(4340, incomplete data) to 60.8% in 2023(3702/6087 kids).
Suspected scoliosis among kindergartners has approximately doubled between 2022 and 2023, and the proportion of 3 to 5-year-olds we surveyed with suspected scoliosis increased from 14% to 55.5 , more than three times. This increasing prevalence of spinal problems in young children is very concerning.
Particularly we want to draw your attention to underprivileged children. We have provided detailed chiropractic examinations in 2021 for 13 children living in subdivided units who did not receive chiropractic exams and adjustments before and during the epidemic respectively. The examination found that their round-back problems all showed a worsening trend, and the proportion of people with round-back problems also increased sharply from 50% to 76.9%.% Cramped living conditions of low-income families living in subdivided flats provide limited space to stretch out and exercise, leading to the spinal problems we often deal with. Compared with the general school children, the proportion of children in subdivided units with round-back problems is 9.9% more.
We are keen on raising the awareness of spinal health through a series of projects, including the “Straighten Up School Scheme” supported by The Community Chest, serving 436 schools that provide outreach spinal education services so as help kids to build up healthy spine lifestyles.
Our regular Students Chiropractic Care Program provides those under 18 with free posture checkups that fill in for the government’s services gap causing the government first-time scoliosis screening for students at Primary 5 or 10 years old and only continue regular screening every two years.
Children Complimentary Chiropractic Adjustment Program is geared towards the underprivileged and provides chiropractic detailed exam and adjustment specifically for students living in subdivided flats, from families covered by the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme.
Apart from our work, we think the government should have done more. Now the public service is not enough to address the actual needs, we recommend the service provide scoliosis screening earlier at 8 years old, continue regular testing once a year instead of two years, shorten waiting time between X-ray examinations and follow-up appointments and also need to reinforce the public education on children spine health to increase the parents’ awareness on spinal nerves.
We suggest the public should pay attention to:
1 Maintain kids' spinal health by taking them to receive regular checkups every six months and chiropractic adjustments if necessary.
2 Perform stretching and strengthening exercises and straighten-up exercises daily.
3 Build up a “Dynamic posture” lifestyle by changing posture or doing 1-2 minutes of exercise every 30-40 minutes daily.
4 Parents should pay more attention to observing kids' postural and health conditions, not to easily mistake potential scoliosis for just bad posture habits, leaving problems untreated.
This morning we would like to dedicate “企好” by “GIN LEE ” to all of you listening.
Enjoy and thank you.
重溫
15/09/2024
Leanne Tam, Campaigner, Greenpeace East Asia
I am Leanne Tam from Greenpeace East Asia.
Every day, Hong Kong people rush through work, afraid of losing to others only one tiny step behind. Takeaway coffee for breakfast and fast food takeaways to fight for more time to work? Without realizing it, this lifestyle eats us up. If you ever take a step back, you'll notice our environment is filled with rubbish. In 2021,The average daily quantity of solid waste disposed of at landfills was over 11,000 tonnes, a 18 percent increase compared to 10 years ago. The daily per capita was 1.53kg in 2021. It is definitely a number 1 compared to other East Asia well developed cities, like Taipei, Tokyo, and Seoul, where their per capita waste disposal rate is around or less than 1kg.
Taipei, Tokyo and Seoul all had implemented a waste charging scheme in their city years ago. While for Hong Kong, the municipal solid waste charging had been “discussed” for 17 years, the policy will finally be in place on 1st April next year.
The year 2024 is a critical year in making substantial progress in addressing the waste crisis in the city. Other than waste charging, the first phase on the regulation of disposable plastic tableware will also be executed in April 2024. There will be a full ban on foam food containers and cutlery, no more disposable plastic tableware allowed for dine-in restaurants and no more plastic-straw, cutlery for takeaway.
While waste charging and regulation on plastic tableware would probably be two crucial policies driving forces on waste reduction. But back to the basics, paying money while continuously throwing away disposable items doesn't mean solving the waste problem. Waste that ends up in landfills, burned in the air, or leaks into the natural environment still generates harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses and environmental pollution. Most importantly, pollution does not happen when you throw, but it begins at the production stage of the single-use items. From oil extraction to plastic manufacturing and packaging, they have already consumed various environmental resources and caused pollution. Reducing waste at source is the root cause solution that truly tackles the waste problem.
Take a look at policies in other countries and regions, using regulation and incentive promoting REUSE to completely phase out single-use items is paramount important. To avoid the issue of simply shifting from plastic to paper, bamboo, or other single-use materials without effectively addressing the waste problem.
Greenpeace believes phasing out the unnecessary packaging is the key. For primary packaging, we can make good use of technology and product design to establish a circular packaging system. This can be achieved by implementing a reusable and returnable packaging to phase out the linear single-use packaging system. To demonstrate the possibility and feasibility of the reuse system, Greenpeace launched the Borrow and Return Cup Program in 2022, enabling customers to borrow reuse cups from over 35 cafes. Reuse cup is introduced to the Hong Kong community through a mobile app. Customers can order takeaway coffee in a reuse cup, and return the cup to any partnering cafe within the network. The program so far saved over 8,000 disposable cups, with a return rate of 99%. Not only receiving positive feedback from the F & B sector and customers, also demonstrating that environmental-friendly and convenience are not mutually exclusive.
To further reveal the environmental potential of reuse systems through scientific research, Greenpeace conducted a Life-cycle assessment of single-use and reuse cup systems. The assessment aimed to calculate the environmental impact generated throughout the entire life cycle of these cups, from production, transportation, use to final disposal.
The study found that the production stage of disposable cup systems accounts for the lion's share of emissions. Even using recycled plastic as raw material input for disposable plastic cups cannot change the significantly large amounts of natural resources consumed and the array of adverse emissions caused during the production process.
This study proved that reuse cups are more resource-efficient and cause less pollution, compared to paper cups and recycled plastic cups. Greenpeace invites chain restaurants in Hong Kong to implement reuse systems, to shoulder corporate responsibility and proactively address the second phase of disposable plastic tableware regulations. The government should also relocate more resources on reuse rather than solely relying on recycling as the ultimate solution to the waste issue. Let’s join hands and unlock the environmental potential of reuse systems, working together to make our city greener for a sustainable future.
Now I’d like to dedicate this song Fix you by Coldplay to all of you.
