More than one in five schoolchildren in Sri Lanka are affected by malnutrition, according to the Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe.
Speaking at a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau in conjunction with 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% and underweight at 16.1%, while overweight levels remain relatively low at 0.5%.
“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% of women and 30% of men, figures that are expected to shift to 15% and 6% respectively in the future.
