Sri Lanka’s health ministry has announced plans to draw up fresh guidelines for donating food to the country’s venerated Buddhist monks amid concerns about their weight and health.
According to AFP, the ministry said the faithful, who offer alms as a religious tradition, tended to give food that was too high in fat and sugar, and monks were developing preventable health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
“The Medical Research Institute has been asked to prepare menus that could be used for alms givings,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The food that is offered is tasty and very rich and it causes immense health problems for monks,” it said.
The ministry will publish new guidelines next month.
