Egyptians have been cracking jokes on social media after the Egyptian president went on a 20-minute televised rant complaining about the country's obesity crisis.

Authoritarian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi went on his second tirade against obesity in as many months when health minister Hala Zayed presented new numbers on the weight of Egyptians on Saturday.

Interrupting her, he asked, "Why are we doing this to ourselves?"

President Sisi said he sometimes sees people and thinks: "Why is she not taking care of herself?" and "can you walk like that?"

He went on to preach that Egyptians should exercise more and suggested overweight people should be banned from TV.


He also said physical education should become core curriculum at schools and universities.

Laughing, he turned to his prime minister, who was sat next to him, and told him not to put on weight.

Image: President Sisi has said people should lose weight

In response, people have been sharing jokes online - including an image of a woman being taken away by a police officer while saying: "What's wrong? I only gained two kilos."

Another joke told of people in a car sucking in their bellies as they approached a police checkpoint.

One joke featured a man asking to hide at a friend's house from police until he loses weight, and another showed a man informing on his overweight wife to the authorities.

President Sisi's critics said he was fat-shaming and not acknowledging the problem is rooted largely in poverty.

Cheaper junk food has become more favourable for Egyptians as prices for food - particularly fruits and vegetables - sharply rose after economic reforms introduced by their president.

He also was slammed for not offering concrete plans to combat obesity and spread fitness.

Of about 17 million Egyptians who had their height and weight measured in a hepatitis C campaign, around 75% were found to be overweight, according to the figures presented to by Ms Zayed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports Egypt has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world.

WHO figures show 63% of Egyptians are overweight, including nearly 36% percent who are obese.

WHO say there is a clear correlation between poverty and obesity.

Nearly 30% of Egypt's 98 million population live in poverty line.