If you're overweight and know it, you're probably Maltese

More than half of the adult population claims to be on a diet, according to the results of a lifestyle survey published by the National Statistics Office.

Fifty-four per cent of respondents said they were dieting at the time of the survey, with men more likely to follow a low cholesterol diet and women favouring a weight-reducing diet.

The survey was carried out last year and probed a range of lifestyle issues including hobbies, work, leisure trends, health and physical characteristics.

The results of the NSO survey support numerous studies which suggest that dieting concerns among Maltese adults are justified. The average weight is 72.5 kg, with a whopping 62 per cent of adults classed as overweight.

This shows a slight increase since the 2003 NSO lifestyle survey when the average weight was 72 kg. Adults with a Body Max Index (BMI) of between 24.9 and 29.9 are defined as overweight, and the average BMI of Maltese adults remained at 26.5 from 2003 to 2007.

The number of adults on a diet suggests that information about the dangers of obesity is having a psychological impact. Indeed, a Eurobarometer survey published by the European Commission last year indicated that Maltese adults may be the most self-aware in the EU with regards to weight problems.

The survey showed that while an average of one European in five says they are overweight, in Malta this applies to over a third (34 per cent). Malta had the highest proportion of respondents who reported being overweight, followed by Sweden (29 per cent) and the UK (28 per cent). This is despite results from a separate Eurobarometer survey which shows that adults in Luxembourg, Denmark and Finland are more overweight than Maltese.

Although the NSO survey shows that the average height of Maltese adults has increased from 164.8 cm in 2003 to 165.3 cm in 2007, locals remain the shortest in the EU. The most recent Eurobarometer survey to measure the height and weight of EU citizens was published in November 2006. This recorded Maltese adults at 164.9 cm, below the Portuguese average height of 165.5 cm.

The NSO survey also suggested a slight change in the drinking habits of Maltese adults. Weekly wine consumption rose from one unit in 2003 to 1.7 units in 2007, while weekly spirit consumption rose from 0.6 units to one unit. In the same period, weekly beer consumption decreased from 1.4 units to 1.3 units.

While tastes may have changed somewhat, it appears that drink-driving remains relatively common. Almost 14 per cent confessed that they had driven a motor vehicle after consuming three or more alcoholic drinks in the 12 months before taking part in the survey.

Meanwhile, adult smoking appears to have increased marginally from 2003. Twenty-six per cent said they smoked cigarettes in 2007, while 25.7 per cent said that they smoked some form of tobacco in 2003.

The Maltese work an average of 41.2 hours per week, with men working 42.9 hours and women 38.3 hours. This is above the average collectively agreed weekly working time in the EU, which last year stood at 38.6 hours according to a report issued in September by the European Foundation for the Promotion of Living and Working Conditions.

Away from work, it appears that the Maltese enjoy solitary hobbies to relax. Reading is the favourite hobby of 38 per cent of adults, while nearly 21 per cent list browsing the internet. This was not even listed as a hobby in 2003, reflecting the growth in internet access and change in technological habits that has occurred during this four-year period.