Maltese men remain the most obese in Europe and are the third most likely to die as a result of diabetes, though they smoke and drink less than their European counterparts, according to a report.
Local men continue to struggle to keep the fat at bay as a report on men’s health commissioned by the European Commission confirms they are the most obese in the EU.
Over 65 per cent of Maltese men have a body mass index greater than 25, meaning they are overweight, and of these, around 22 per cent are obese, according to the study.
Together with Germany and the UK, Malta has the highest number of overweight men in stark contrast with Norway, Estonia, Latvia and France where fewer than 45 per cent of men are overweight.
The conclusions confirm a previous survey – the 2008 European Health Interview Survey – which revealed Maltese men were the most obese in Europe where 50 per cent of both Maltese men and women are overweight, with roughly 23 per cent of women and 20 per cent of men being obese.
The health report on men’s health reveals that around 30 per cent of Maltese men smoke daily, slightly lower than the EU average, though the health authorities pointed out yesterday that this figure is actually lower as recent figures for 2008 show a figure of 26 per cent.
Alcohol consumption for Maltese men is also low compared with the rest of the EU – 78 per cent compared with 94 per cent in Lithuania and the EU average of 86 per cent. Excessive alcohol consumption is a risk factor associated with chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver.
The life expectancy at birth for Maltese men in Malta is approximately 77 years, which is slightly higher than the EU 27 average of 76.1 years.
Maltese men have among the highest life expectancies for 50-year-olds and can expect to live up to 77, which is five years more than the EU average age of 67.
Cancer and circulatory system diseases remain the top underlying causes of death in men in Malta. The mortality rate for heart disease is slightly above 150 deaths per 100,000, which is higher than the EU average of approximately 110 deaths per 100,000.
Premature deaths due to stroke are low in Maltese men who ranked the fifth lowest among EU members. Deaths caused by cancer were low when compared with the EU average. The death rate of all cancers in Malta is the third lowest – only Finland and Sweden have lower rates.
Mortality rates by prostate and testicular cancer in Malta are the lowest in the EU. Deaths caused by lung cancer are also far lower than the EU average at approximately 45 per 100,000 in Malta compared with 60 per 100,000.
However, deaths caused by diabetes are comparatively high, with Malta ranking third.
Malta has the lowest death rate among men for traffic accidents at six per 100,000 compared with the EU average of 14 per 100,000 and the second lowest number of fatal accidents in the EU.
The European report rates the health of men covering a number of lifestyle factors, health status, non-communicable diseases and accidents and aims to highlight a number of key health issues.