Survey paints picture of an obese country

Six of every 10 adults in Malta are either overweight or obese, a report on the Maltese way of life, to be published by the National Statistics Office next week, shows.

The study incorporates information related to hobbies, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, internal migration, health, life satisfaction, weight and height.

The results are derived from a survey carried out between June and July this year on the lifestyle of Maltese residents, aged 18 years or over and living within private households.

Some Findings

¤ 78,800 adults, or 26.9 per cent of the adult population, suffer from a long-term health problem or disability.

¤ 30.3 per cent of male adults and 21.3 per cent of female adults are smokers.

¤ Adult males consume an average of 4.9 units of alcohol every week, compared with 1.1 units for females.

¤ Book reading is the most popular hobby among the adult population.

¤ Interest in arts and cultural events is highly related to the education level successfully completed.

¤ 175,770 adults, or 60 per cent of the adult population, is either overweight or obese.

¤ Adults sleep an average of 7.4 hours each day.

¤ Those who are divorced, separated or whose marriage is annulled are the least satisfied with their lives.

Source: National Statistics Office