Significant increase of overweight and obese individuals in Sri Lanka – Health Ministry

 

The Ministry of Health says there is a significant increase in the number of overweight and obese individuals in Sri Lanka.

Community medicine specialist of the non-communicable disease unit of the Ministry, Dr. Shanthi Gunawardene emphasized that the risk of being subjected to non-communicable diseases is high, when a person is overweight.

“In 2015, 22.5% of overweight and obese people were among men. Also, 34% of women fell into the category of overweight and obese in 2015.

By 2021, the number of overweight and obese people has reached 48%”, she claimed.