Top 8 Health Trends in Hong Kong for 2018... No. 7

https://www.healthymatters.com.hk/top-8-health-trends-hong-kong-2018

Top 8 Health Trends in Hong Kong for 2018 | Exclusive Market Intel
Healthy Matters announces its predictions for health in Hong Kong. Our editorial team has covered some exciting health trends for 2018 including massive doctor relocation, poop health, fat graft beauty surgery, fatherhood, self-care for woman, and much more!

1 – Expect massive doctor relocation – Takshing House is closing
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Is your doctor located in Takshing House? Be prepared to go elsewhere! The building known to have housed hundreds of doctors for decades in their Central location on Des Voeux Road is set to close. Doctors and health practitioners will start to trickle out before the April 2019 deadline and will have to make some difficult decisions. Will they pay the big bucks to stay in Central where their patient base is? Will they head to more affordable neighbourhoods and risk losing patients? Or will they create a partnership with other practitioners? This is bound to shift the market of private care in Hong Kong.

2 – Hong Kong’s first poop bank – yes, healthy stools is a thing now

Poop is no laughing matter here. The Hong Kong based Asia Microbiota Bank which opened up earlier this year, is one of the first poop banks in Asia that supports fecal microbiota transplant procedures (FMT). Fecal transplant is a therapy that transfers gut microbes from healthy donors to sick patients that suffer from chronic gut conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis. The objective of FMT is to increase intestinal microbial diversity to reestablish a normal microbiome. In the US, the FDA allows physicians to use FMT for patients infected by Clostridium Difficile – an effective alternative to antibiotic resistance. As the scientific community is beginning to demonstrate that the bacteria in our gut plays a key role in our health, we will likely hear more about poop in the year ahead.

3 – Too good to be true? Fat-grafting boosts your breast size with your unwanted fat
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What is fat grafting, you ask? Plastic surgeons have finally mastered the art of removing fat from one area (usually the lower abdomen or buttocks) and injecting it into another area of the body – the art of “grafting” fat. It is most effective in areas of the face that become sunken with age, usually around the cheeks, temples, or forehead. And what’s more, it can be used for breast augmentation. In recent years, cosmesis and sensation after surgery is further improved with new technologies such as water-assisted liposuction. We’ve seen the boom in natural products in the last few years, and here is plastic surgery’s answer to the call for “natural” options. As a word of caution, the results of fat grafting can be somewhat unpredictable and necessitate an expert hand. Right now in Hong Kong, there are only a handful of such experts. Choosing a qualified plastic surgeon is of the utmost importance in HK where the beauty sector is scarcely regulated and has recently faced treatment blunders.

4 – Focus on fatherhood – more dads asking for information on parenthood, their mental health and wellbeing​​

Men are spending more time with their children and are becoming increasingly interested in seeking out parenthood tips, tricks and health advice. We have seen a growing number of men coming to Healthy Matters events and asking questions about health and parenthood (our “Tips for Daddies” session in October was packed!). We’ve scouted a couple of things we think are worth looking at for dads: Hong Kong Dads meeting up for playgroups; Australian organisation Beyond Blue providing some hilarious Dadvice; and local Hong Kong star, Lokyi Lai’s (黎諾懿) adorable videos with his son, including a dad and baby workout!

5 – Self-care for women is becoming the norm, not a luxury​​

After centuries of putting others first, women realize that looking after themselves is a necessity. It makes them a better friend, parent, spouse, colleague and a stronger family pillar. Investing in health and taking time to escape the pressures of fast-paced HK is becoming increasingly popular among women. As the world throws more at us, the importance of self-care for women is becoming the norm, not a luxury. Women will invest in annual medical check-ups and complementary medicines (naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic). Women will also put the phone away, go for a walk, do an exercise class, have a massage or anything else that makes them feel good in 2018!

6 – You will hear a lot more about Gleneagles Hospital​​

Located in Wong Chuk Hang, steps away from the Aberdeen Tunnel, Gleneagles Hospital is a brand-new hospital offering private services. Officially opened since March 2017, Gleneagles has some impressive credibility: they have partnered with the University of Hong Kong’s Medical School as their sole clinical partner; they are the only private hospital offering 24-hour Accident & Emergency services on Hong Kong Island; and when their obstetrics department opens in early 2018, it will be the only private hospital in Hong Kong with a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. As their patient pool grows, you will be hearing a lot more about them.

7 – HealthTech companies have their eyes on the HK market

The intersection of health and technology has just begun and it will dramatically change our way of consuming healthcare. As part of the StartmeupHK Festival 2018, HealthTech o2o is coming to Hong Kong on February 1st. We’ve got our eyes on a couple of interesting health technology innovations with products available in Hong Kong soon.
The ITBra by Cyrcadia is a discreet insert that fits into any bra to support early breast cancer detection. Currently breast cancer is the most common cancer in Hong Kong females, accounting for 26.1% of cancers in women. Considering there is no government-sponsored breast cancer screening program, we think the ITBra has a place in the Hong Kong health market.
In collaboration with the University of Waterloo’s (UoW) start-up incubator Velocity, O2 Canada has developed one of the world’s most effective, stylish and comfortable pollution masks. The masks have been tested extensively at the Air Pollution Innovation Lab at the UoW to provide superior protection from pollutants. They currently ship from Canada and are set to be sold on the Chinese market in January 2018. Read Healthy Matters’ interview with O2 Canada’s CEO and co-founder, Peter Whitby.

8 – And there is more to come from Healthy Matters!​​

We are all about bringing Hong Kong-relevant health information and we have a lot of exciting things in store for 2018. In addition to providing trusted online health content, we are bringing you 2 unique event experiences: the 2nd Annual Kids Health + Parenting Event (June) and the 4th Annual Maternity + Baby Event (October). Check out 2017’s Maternity + Baby Event for a preview of what’s to come!

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