Obesity is a wake up call for developing world too

Editor—The ABC article on obesity by Haslam et al is equally a wake up call to the developing world, which is gradually being affected by the epidemic of obesity.¹ Sri Lanka is no exception. However, unlike developed countries, Sri Lanka has a prevalence of 29% of being underweight among children and a prevalence of 30% of anaemia among women and children under 5.² Implications of an epidemic of obesity may overburden a health system that is expected to cater for an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases due to the epidemiological and demographic transition.

The prevalence of obesity was estimated to be 20.3% in men and 36.5 % in women in four provinces in Sri Lanka, the highest prevalence being in the more urbanised Western Province.³ In another study in the most urbanised district, Colombo, the prevalence of obesity was estimated to be 32.2% among adults.⁴

Obesity is increasing owing to demographic changes, urbanisation, and life style changes that took place during the past decade or so. Most of the risk factors are behaviour related and hence influenced by urbanisation and unhealthy life styles, such as a move from the traditional Sri Lankan diet to a fast food culture and low physical activity.⁴ The urban and rural differences in the two extremes of obesity and starvation have been summarised on bmj.com.⁵

Public health authorities in Sri Lanka must wake up to take measures to contain the impending epidemic of obesity before it further overburdens the health budget of this lower middle income country.