Malnutrition affects one in five schoolchildren

More than one in five schoolchildren in Sri Lanka suffer from malnutrition.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, shared this information during a media briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau held in conjunction with National Nutrition Month. Dr. Anil Jasinghe warned that children experiencing malnutrition face a risk of developing obesity later in life.

Recent survey data on children under and over the age of five indicates that stunting stands at 10.1% and underweight at 16.1%, while overweight levels remain relatively low at 0.5%. Dr. Anil Jasinghe stated that these figures indicate nearly one-fifth of children suffer from malnutrition, adding that in such a context, children often transition from early-life malnutrition to obesity in adolescence and adulthood.

Rising obesity rates among adults also raise concerns, with the condition affecting 47% of women and 30% of men. These figures are expected to shift to 15% and 6% respectively in the future.