46 pc Sri Lankan women, 10 pc school children obese

Colombo, May 9 Sri Lankan Health Secretary Palitha Mahipala has said that 46 per cent of women and 10 per cent of children in the country are suffering from obesity.

Speaking at a lecture to educate journalists from state media institutions, Mahipala said that 89 per cent of deaths in the country are caused by non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, Xinhua news agency reported.

Obesity is a major factor in non-communicable diseases, Mahipala said.

Most of the Sri Lankans die due to heart disease and stroke, he added.

Details are awaited.

Source: IANS