26.5pc people suffer from obesity
At least 26.5 percent of the country's population suffer from obesity while 13 percent from hypertension and seven percent from diabetes, find multiple studies by the health directorate.
Alarmingly, around 68 percent people with high blood pressure are asymptomatic while 61 percent diabetic patients are asymptomatic, researchers said while disclosing the findings at the Annual Research Dissemination Programme-2022 at a hotel in the capital.
Of all the eight divisions, Rangpur has the highest 33.7 percent obese people, followed by around 32 percent in Dhaka.
Khulna division has the lowest 14 percent obese people while Chattogram has 29 percent, Rajshahi 26.7 percent, Sylhet 23 percent, Barishal 19.5 percent and Mymensingh 16.1 percent.
The non-communicable disease control wing of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) conducted the 12 studies last year.
Funded by the DGHS, the studies were carried out based on patients' data collected from different upazila heath complexes, hospitals and analyses of related studies conducted earlier.
Researchers from different health organisations, including the icddr,b, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, National Institute of Mental Health, and National Heart Foundation, conducted the studies, according to officials.
One of the studies revealed that around 15.8 percent people in the country suffer from dyslipidemia -- the imbalance of lipids in the body.
Speaking at the programme as chief guest, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said, "Around 10 lakh people die in the country every year. Of them, 70 percent die from non-communicable diseases. Such diseases are claiming more than 1,900 lives every day."
Lauding the DGHS' research initiative, he said the research findings would help the government adopt the right policies and plans to control non-communicable diseases.
He urged the people to maintain a healthy lifestyle to be safe from diseases.
Prof Sharfuddin Ahmed, vice chancellor of BSMMU, and Prof Dr Robed Amin, additional director general (administration) at the DGHS, attended the event, among others.
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