• Adult obesity rising  

More than one in five schoolchildren in Sri Lanka are affected by malnutrition, according to the Health Ministry Secretary, Dr Anil Jasinghe.

Speaking during a media briefing held in conjunction with the National Nutrition Month, Dr Jasinghe warned that children experiencing malnutrition are also at risk of developing obesity later in life. Citing recent survey data on children under and over the age of five, he noted that stunting stands at 10.1 per cent and underweight at 16.1 per cent, while overweight levels remain relatively low at 0.5 per cent. 

“These figures indicate that nearly one-fifth of our children are affected by malnutrition,” he said. “In such a context, children often transition from early-life malnutrition to obesity in adolescence and adulthood.”

He further highlighted concerns over rising obesity rates among adults, stating that obesity affects 47 per cent of women and 30 per cent of men, figures that are expected to shift to 15 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, in the future.