Around 12% of Sri Lankan schoolchildren are overweight while 3% are obese, according to findings from the 2024 Global School-based Student Health Survey, the Health Ministry said.
Director of the Nutrition Division, Specialist Dr Monica Wijerathne, said the findings were concerning, particularly at a time when the country’s population growth rate has declined.
The survey covered children aged between 13 and 17 years and also examined their dietary habits.
“According to the 2024 Global School-based Student Health Survey, 12% of children aged between 13 and 17 years are overweight while 3% are suffering from obesity,” Dr Wijerathne said.
She said the study found that 17.04% of students consume carbonated beverages daily, while 28.05% regularly consume foods high in salt.
“About 17.04% of schoolchildren are accustomed to consuming carbonated drinks daily. A further 28.05% consume foods high in salt, 29% consume foods high in fat and 41% consume foods high in sugar at least once a day or more frequently,” she said.
Dr Wijerathne said the findings highlighted the growing impact of unhealthy dietary habits among schoolchildren.
“Based on current data, our population growth rate has declined significantly. It has dropped from 1.9 to 1.3, making it unfortunate that schoolchildren are increasingly being affected by health conditions linked to poor nutrition,” she added. (Newswire)
