Bangladesh

Obesity prevalence

% Adults living with obesity in Bangladesh 1995-2014

% Adults living with overweight or obesity in Bangladesh 1995-2014

% Adults living with obesity in selected countries in the Asia/Oceania Region 1975-2019

Overweight/obesity by education

Overweight/obesity by age

Overweight/obesity by region

Overweight/obesity by socio-economic group

Insufficient physical activity

Average daily frequency of carbonated soft drink consumption

Estimated per-capita fruit intake

Prevalence of less-than-daily fruit consumption

Prevalence of less-than-daily vegetable consumption

Average weekly frequency of fast food consumption

Estimated per-capita processed meat intake

Estimated per-capita whole grains intake

Mental health - depression disorders

Mental health - anxiety disorders

Oesophageal cancer

Breast cancer

Colorectal cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Gallbladder cancer

Kidney cancer

Cancer of the uterus

Raised blood pressure

Raised cholesterol

Raised fasting blood glucose

Diabetes prevalence

Health systems

Health systems summary

Healthcare in Bangladesh is pluralistic, delivered by 4 providers: the government, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and donor agencies. Although care in the public sector is technically available to all Bangladeshi citizens and highly subsidised by the government, the quality of care is considered to be poor, a consequence of insufficient funding and governance. As a result, the private sector (made up of formal, traditional services and informal, less traditional services) has thrived, benefitting from limited regulation. Private care in Bangladesh is expensive, and so unaffordable for much of the population. Out of pocket payments are estimated to make up 63.3% of total health expenditure, with government expenditure making up just 26%. Insurance (social or private) is uncommon in Bangladesh.

The Bangladeshi health system is challenged by an insufficient health workforce, its inadequate public system, the high number of informal providers in rural areas, lack of effective risk-pooling and low financial investment. At the same time, Bangladesh is experiencing the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases and great demographic changes.

Summary of stakeholder feedback

Neither the government nor healthcare providers in Bangladesh are considered to act as if obesity is a disease. As obesity is not considered a disease by healthcare providers and patients, the stakeholder reported that people only enter the health system when they have a comorbidity related to obesity. Even then, they receive no treatment for their obesity unless they go private. This is because there is no funded obesity treatment within the public sector, leaving all obesity care to be provided by the private sector. There is said to be several private clinics and dietary care services available, but these are mostly situated in urban areas and so not accessible to those living in rural regions. When treatment is provided it is said to be as ‘beauty management’ rather than because obesity is a disease.

While there is an NCD strategy (that is accompanied by an implementation guide), it noted that there is no focus in it on obesity. There is also no obesity treatment guidelines or recommendations, or training for obesity specialists. This is despite recent research showing that obesity and its related diseases are increasing in Bangladesh. There is also a growing concern about childhood obesity.

Based on interviews/survey returns from 1 stakeholder