Advertisement

Hong Kong charity offers free diet advice and guidance for children with intellectual disabilities in low-income families

  • Parents of children with intellectual disabilities are often tempted to overfeed them, risking a number of health issues
  • Love21, a Hong Kong charity, is helping low-income families by offering dietary plans, cooking classes and medical checks

Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Children with intellectual disabilities are often overfed by their parents, sometimes out of feelings of guilt. A Hong Kong charity, Love21, is offering free advice and medical checks for low-income families caring for children with Down’s syndrome and autism. Photo: Love21

In Hong Kong, parents of children with intellectual disabilities often live with a feeling of guilt. They blame themselves for their child’s condition, explains one low-income, single mother who cares for a son with Down’s syndrome who is now in his 30s. Holding back tears, she says she didn’t want to share her name to protect him.

Advertisement

Hoping to somehow boost their child’s development and to show love, many such mothers overfeed their children, explains dietitian Sally Poon Shi-po. To make matters worse, the food choices available to low-income families are usually high in fat, salt and sugar.

“Parents don’t understand what this is doing to the children’s health,” says Poon, who notes people with Down’s syndrome often have thyroid issues and are likely to have a slower metabolism, making it easy to gain weight if they don’t eat healthily. This can lead to chronic disease including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

In January this year, Love21, a charity that helps low-income families with children with Down’s syndrome and autism, launched a free programme that provides parents with guidance and education on a healthy diet for their children.

Dietitian Sally Poon Shi-po in her office. Photo: Pavel Toropov
Dietitian Sally Poon Shi-po in her office. Photo: Pavel Toropov
Advertisement

The Jockey Club Love Healthy Sport and Nutrition Programme is funded by the Jockey Club and helps 57 families.

Advertisement