Obesity, the “plague” of modern times, is engulfing not only Sri Lanka but other countries around the world. Is it adequate to deal with the consequences of obesity such as killer non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart trouble, stroke and cancer? Can obesity be tackled only by medical professionals? The clear answer [...]

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The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

Time for action: One in three adult Lankans overweight

Kumudini Hettiarachchi reports
Soon a separate organisation to address this issue alone.
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Obesity, the “plague” of modern times, is engulfing not only Sri Lanka but other countries around the world.
Is it adequate to deal with the consequences of obesity such as killer non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart trouble, stroke and cancer? Can obesity be tackled only by medical professionals?

The clear answer being no to both and with 1/3rd of Sri Lanka’s adult population being overweight or obese and children too careening down this slippery slope, a group of about 25 like-minded and determined people met on Wednesday in Colombo to prepare the groundwork for an essential association.

With this core group preparing the way and spreading the word, the ‘Sri Lanka Association for the Study of Obesity’ (slaso) will soon see the light of day, after the registration of the name and the first annual general meeting being called to elect those who will don the mantle of leadership.

Wednesday’s preliminary meeting was held by Consultant Endocrinologist, Dr. Prasad Katulanda who is also a Senior Lecturer at the Colombo Medical Faculty with the assistance of Prof. Chandrika Wijeyaratne, Professor in Reproductive Medicine, Colombo Medical Faculty; Consultant Paediatrican Prof. Pujitha Wickramasinghe, Professor in Paediatrics of the Colombo Medical Faculty; Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Researcher, University of Oxford, United Kingdom and Dr. Ranil Jayawardena, Diabetes Research Unit, Colombo.

Bringing in the flavour of vivid experiences were the three invited foreign experts Prof. Mario Soares of Curtin University, Australia; Prof. David Matthews of the University of Oxford; and Dr. Melanie Nichols of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre, Deakin University, Australia.

Giving the shocking figure of 1/3rd of adult Sri Lankans being overweight or obese, Dr. Katulanda stressed the importance of curbing this trend. While many medical professional or bodies are doing their part to overcome this issue, the country needed the involvement of all stakeholders to battle this, he said. Hence, the need for ‘slaso’.

Sharing his experiences with regard to childhood obesity, Prof. Pujitha Wickramasinghe said it is “a huge, emerging problem”. As overweight and obesity are related to behaviour, there was a need to start right. For doctors, obesity was one of a multitude of medical problems they have to handle, so a separate organisation is needed to address this issue alone.
“Seeing the big picture is important and there is much to do,” he said, adding that the assumption is that only those older get NCDs. “But there are seven, eight and nine-year-olds who are showing many obesity-related problems,” he underscored.

The need is to catch them young, according to him, as once they reach adulthood it is difficult to change their behaviour patterns.

Pointing out that overweight and obesity are not unique to Sri Lanka, Prof. Matthews said it is a big, world problem. “We are eating too much and doing too little,” he said, explaining that children are surrounded by things which tempt them with appetizing messages. Passing Viharamahadevi Park on his way to the meeting, he saw many huge advertisements all promoting sugary drinks and ice-cream. On a different track, he asked what would be the use of teaching children to read and write if they don’t have any physical activity, for they will be in trouble.

Medical groups usually wait until something goes wrong before their work starts, but an association like this would be able to invite a range of people including medics, architects, town-planners etc. Architects should locate the stairs next to the elevator, so that people can use them for a little exercise, while town planners should design-in cycling tracks.
Laughingly, he said that though he cycles to work in Oxford, he would have to use an armoured vehicle amidst the traffic of Colombo let alone a cycle. Policy-makers and all politicians should also be part of such an association, Prof. Matthews added.
Prof. Wijeyaratne pointed out some cultural issues which lead to the misconception that obesity is equivalent to prosperity. Therefore, there is a need for a change in the attitides of society.

With the Health Ministry recognising that prevention of NCDs is a priority, Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe said a multi-sectoral body to set in motion an action plan is vital because overweight and obesity are not only the root cause of a lot of health problems but also create a massive financial burden.

Why multi-sectoral, he asks and answers that overweight and obesity are linked to diet, physical inactivity, environment, education, urbanization and cultural issues to mention a few. Drawing together the medical profession, the education sector, agriculture, trade media, etc, would be the only way to battle overweight and obesity, he said.

For the prevention of obesity, there needs to be a coordinated voice to carry out advocacy for a policy response while tackling issues such as an unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity, he said.

One of the first to come under the microscope will be the numerous sugary drinks that children drink frequently, said Dr. Wickramasinghe, echoing the fears of Dr. Matthews who warned that obesity, like a dead weight, will pull the country down.




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