Kyrgyzstan has been listed among countries with an increased risk of obesity and related diseases. A new report by the World Obesity Federation Report Card: Kyrgyzstan says. The document is based on data from the Global Obesity Observatory and national health statistics.
According to the study, Kyrgyzstan’s overall national obesity risk index stands at 7 out of 10, while the forecast for childhood obesity is 4.5 out of 11 points. Nearly one in four adults in the country is obese — 23 percent among men and 27 percent among women.
About a third of the adult population is overweight. The situation among children is also concerning: about 11 percent of children aged 5–9 and 8 percent of adolescents are overweight, with 3 percent already suffering from obesity.
Researchers note that 39 percent of adults do not meet the minimum levels of physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization, while daily consumption of sugary drinks and fast food has become the norm for almost a quarter of teenagers. At the same time, only 18 percent of children and 22 percent of adults consume enough fruits and vegetables.
The report also highlights that 31 percent of adults have hypertension and 7 percent have type 2 diabetes, while obesity-related mortality has increased by 14 percent over the past five years.
The economic impact is also significant: experts estimate that by 2030, obesity-related diseases could reduce Kyrgyzstan’s GDP by more than 2 percent annually. The report stresses that the country faces a double burden — persistent malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies on one hand, and a rapidly growing share of the population with excess body weight, especially in urban areas, on the other.
The authors call on the government to strengthen preventive measures — including restricting advertising of unhealthy foods, increasing taxes on sugary drinks, expanding school nutrition programs, and making healthy lifestyles more accessible. Without systemic action, experts warn, obesity could become one of the major threats to the nation’s health and economy.
