Malta tops list of most inactive adults

Andreas Moser

Aug 4th 2012, 13:20

As somebody who used to live in Malta, I am not at all surprised that Maltese don't get enough exercise. Here are the top 3 reasons: http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/the-lazy-people-of-malta/

Bill Khan

Jul 19th 2012, 13:56

But what a great picture of the triplets fed on the best bread in the world.

James Wightman

Jul 19th 2012, 07:21

The social cost of obesity is something we all pay for through taxes needed to pay for the health bill.

It all comes down to quality of life. Exercise adds life to years (quality of life).

No exercise means fat, happy and living like Jabba-the-hut for a few years less.

Take your choice, but the families and grandchildren stand to enjoy a slimmer grandpa or grandma for longer.

Jay Oatmon

Jul 19th 2012, 01:59

My advice leave the car parked and walk around doing the shopping, and go swimming once a week (at least you stay cool while exercising).
Also if you take out those below 35 years of age (the most active group) I bet the true % of overweight in the remaining group is even higher.

TuffyDavies Davidson

Jul 19th 2012, 01:09

i am not fat but i would say average weight, however i like my woman to have a bit of meat on her, i've seen some nasty skinny women about back home, thin as a rack that reminds me of an insect stick, on a windy day they have to hold on to whatever is close to them, i just hate skinny women and most Maltese women over 40 are abit over but thats just great as long as they are healthy and a bit sporty, lovely jubbly.

Mark Spagnol

Jul 18th 2012, 22:46

It's not the looks, but what's inside. Vera tara hafna nies hoxnin, imma kemm tara nies hoxnin li jixorbu l-Ilma u ma jinfaqawx inhinkollu bil-junk foods, fejn umbad tara nies li jkunu irqaq u hlief coca u junk foods ma jiklux. Dik il-problema, l-injoranza Maltija, imbilli tkun irqiq ma jfissirx li tkun healthy!

mr a borg

Jul 18th 2012, 20:28

one ends up concluding that there must be some correlation between obesity and happiness!

G Hoare

Jul 18th 2012, 20:23

WELL WELL LET me tell you all why im fat ,it is because i dont eat enough , i cannot eat enough food during the day so im lacking food and the plus side of it im on antidepresents which they will blot me out ,i don't drink enough milk in a day because it has alot of fat ,and i only drink semi skimmed ,my bones are not so good as they used to be ,in my younger years i played netball, tennis, table tennis ,football you name it i don it i never been unemployed ,i worked hard most my life ,but when you hit 40 my body started to slow down .But the worse thing is when people call you names because I am fat ,now im 50 i can hardly walk, my knees pop my hips pop i cannot donate any part of my body even if i wish too . i wouldn't want anybody to share my pain .
SO PLEASE BEFORE YOU ASK ME or anybody TO WALK THINK ! not everbody can walk or exercise

Charles Cremona

Jul 18th 2012, 19:39

This will cost the Heath Service in Malta millions of Euros for years to come. You only have to go round our fast food outlets especially at this time of the year and all kids seem to eat is pizza and chips two of the most fatening foods in existance.

Mario Fenech

Jul 18th 2012, 18:52

The above picture looks like Mount Rushmore.

Manuel Attard

Jul 18th 2012, 18:18

Although Malta has a lot to improve with regards to diet and lifestyle, do note that this study has its limitations and labelling the Maltese as the most inactive people in Europe may not be accurate. If you read the original paper, you'll notice that although the statistics for most countries are fairly significant, this is not so for Malta. So for example, the 95% confidence interval for the worldwide value is within 30.9-31.2% [reported as: 31.1% (95% CI 30.9—31.2)]. However, for Malta, this range is massive - 31.0-87.2% [reported as: 71.9% (31.0—87.2)]. What this means is that the true value for Malta's inactivity level lies anywhere between 31 and 87%. This is probably due to a very small sample size being used in Malta, or the utilisation of inaccurate methods.

Still, the more active you are the better, and this study may help to motivate some people…so publish away!

GL Calleja

Jul 18th 2012, 18:04

How did you manage to line up these three beauties? That is a lot of loving, a lot of good food and a lack of exercise. A man used to be proud to show of a big stomach, now it is a disgrace.

Mr Peter Barbara

Jul 18th 2012, 17:39

@A Vella
What high fees do you have to pay to exercise. ...e.g go for a jog whenever and wherever you like or go for a swim whenever and wherever you like, not to mention a lot of other exercise that do not include payment !

Ray Buhagiar

Jul 18th 2012, 17:26

DoH has recently launched a health policy on addressing obesity. On paper it is a brilliant policy, however it definitely needs a cultural change.

One observation> Government spent thousand of euros to build smoking cabins at Mater Dei, yet they didn't spend a single euro to build a gymnasium whereby health conscious staff could exercise.

From young age, children find it difficult to find time to exercise. School, private classes, religious doctrine (mandatory twice a week), then long hours on studying hard to pass O levels, its never ending and then we expect them to take physical exercise.

I once read that a martial art centre has to pay electricity at industrial rates. Club fees would have to include this.

I am glad that my parents instilled a sport mentality in me, and at 38 I still weigh 72 Kgs.

Jonathan Saliba

Jul 18th 2012, 17:16

Some prefer to joke about this story. Meanwhile, a report in the British medical journal Lancet published these past few days claims that lack of exercise is killing as many people as smoking. Instead of wasting our time reading about Richard Cachia Caruana and the rest how about taking a half an hour walk or going swimming instead?

Louis Craus

Jul 18th 2012, 17:15

Well done Malta

J.C. Borg

Jul 18th 2012, 17:14

Viva l-fast food u l-ghazz.

Tghid x'size ta' brassiere juzaw dawn???

charlot cauchi

Jul 18th 2012, 17:06

This article is about people being inactive while the picture make you think its all about people who are obese or overweight. As if most of the people who are in a good shape or at least look good do any exercise. This is a thing in our genes some people are lucky and some are not. i was living abroad and spent a whole year walking to work and back on average 1 hour in total and yet just kept my usual weight. people should stop judging people who has a larger frame, luck comes in various shapes and sizes..

Alex Baramki

Jul 18th 2012, 17:01

And the wonderfully active 40+% in the US are making the world a better place? Please tell me how!

Mr mario aquilina

Jul 18th 2012, 16:56

At last, we came first at something. Shame, that no Gold Medal was given.

One more comment please-most of our women over 40 look like men both from the rear and the front. They also have men's hair cuts.Terrible. I think I'll turn gay.

G Hoare

Jul 18th 2012, 16:54

U AJMA THEY ALLWAYS PICK ON THE LITTLE ONE
Leave people alone some people in Malta work harder then anybody else in europe most with 2 jobs ,surely they dont have time to exercise ,i put it down to jelouse us Maltese have a better life then anybody else in europe it not might be healty 100% but they keep on and on ,or maybe they think we don't own a mirror to see ourselves in it.
THEY WANT US TO LIVE LONGER so we can pay the taxes, put the pension u to 70 and so on centuries ago lpeople used to die at 25/ 30 they told them to eat more and take vitamins and God knows what now everybody is practicaly living past 70 and they still moaning .SO IN THIS LIFE WE CAN NEVER WIN

A Vella

Jul 18th 2012, 16:53

The high fees we have to pay to practice a sport or simply exercise certainly do not help.

joseph engerer

Jul 18th 2012, 16:45

In Gozo the social structure turned upside down.not so long ago most people done their shopping and other daily activities on foot,were not afraid of walking to the church,to their fields,mainly becouse they could not afford being mobile.Today we complain because the bus was ten minutes late,returned migrants who should know better but they dont and other folks buy these four wheel drives just to take their little kiddos to school just in case they melt on the way,when the school is only ten minutes away.shoppers in small villages want to park inside the shop if possible, village piazzas full of parked cars in the evening and they are all local.it seems that walking and other forms of exercise is passe nowadays, whats in is Laziness.

John Vella

Jul 18th 2012, 16:30

Thanks to Mr Clyde Puli Marsa sports ground is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

After many years jogging at Marsa the track is closed on the weekend even the adjacent fields. When contacted the Kunsil Malti ghall-isports I was told that now its a private place and I have to pay. I tried to explain that I don't have any problem paying as long as its open on weekends. The only answer I got was "Sorry,we cannot help".
So if anyone of you feels like jogging at Marsa on weekend he is free to go, as long as he likes jogging on the spot.

The irony is that the place have 24/7 security paid by public funds. Thank you owlonevoli.

F. Scicluna

Jul 18th 2012, 16:15

weldone WHO for putting us first,........usualy if we becaome 29 out of 30 our Govt. will make a bit of a fuss today we came first.

Victor Rodenas

Jul 18th 2012, 16:12

Nahseb li nieklu hafna pastizzi u qassatat ,flok insajjru mmorru ghand tal `fast food`.Fl-Amerika wkoll hemm hafna nies `obese`,hemmhekk suppost avvanzati hafna, l-aktar li jghamel `exercise`hu x-xedaq ghaliex dejjem ghandu x`jghamel. :-)

Kevin Azzopardi

Jul 18th 2012, 16:07

Why not introduce an obesity tax? Pay a small tax for every kilo over your normal BMI.

Joanne Vella

Jul 18th 2012, 15:59

How do you expect us to be active, when the environment around us does not foster physical activity? More rights should be given to bicycle users on the streets. Malta is a small country, journeys can be easly done by bike or walk, this would eventually also reduce air pollution.

Mr Andrew Camilleri

Jul 18th 2012, 15:48

Is channel hopping not considered a suitable activity for adult men?

Joe Fenech

Jul 18th 2012, 15:39

I guess Malta should be world champion in Sumo!

Mr Evan Camilleri

Jul 18th 2012, 15:35

"Inactivity was defined as not meeting any of three criteria: 30 minutes of moderate activity such as a brisk walk, at least five days a week; 20 minutes of vigorous activity at least three days a week; or an equivalent combination of the two."

Maybe the definition is wrong! It was intended in leisure time... maybe a lot of Maltese do some kind of physical activity in non-leisure time

John J Borg

Jul 18th 2012, 15:34

i used to walk back and forth for hours ........but then i got one (tv) with the remote and that`s it.......

Ian Mamo

Jul 18th 2012, 15:33

Kulhadd go l istess kaxxa sejjer ta! :)

Mr R Rizzo

Jul 18th 2012, 15:26

....to add to my previous comment... what if there was an article that 80% of maltese men and women were ugly and most probably you'd fall in that category willing or not... would you appreciate comments such as "hey dude don't forget the paper bag before you leave your house, it's unhealthy to show your "fugly" face around" or " omg your parents would have opted for abortion if they saw your face but they mistook your head with your rear-end in the ultrasound results"

Luckily not all people are as hideous as you are, because when you have relatives trying to cope with their problems you try to help them out as much as possible and not make fun of them unless you want to be treated the same.

Joseph Grech Attard

Jul 18th 2012, 15:25

Ghall-erwieh gejna l-ewwel f'xi haga almenu!

Health Dept. please note!

John Scerri

Jul 18th 2012, 15:23

Too much Facebook.

Aimee Grech

Jul 18th 2012, 15:22

To show that Malta has the greatest prevalence of inactive adults, one does not need to put a picture of people who are overweight... There are a number of medical problems which leads to becoming overweight and there are also medical treatment which have the tendency of increasing weight.

Matthew Farrugia

Jul 18th 2012, 15:18

get yourself in the habit of some water sports such as kayaking / diving / swimming etc have a look on the following link for some kayaking around the Maltese cost http://matfar.co.uk/?p=1170

B Attard

Jul 18th 2012, 15:17

One of the problems when excercising ez walking,jogging is that you end up loosing the benefits due to air and noise pollution. So the best time to walk or jog during summer is from midnight onwards.

Mr R Rizzo

Jul 18th 2012, 15:15

Obesity is not just because one lives as a couched potato. It is not because people enjoy a beer or two or enjoy a good meal during the weekend. Obesity means there is something physically wrong with the body that is building up fat constantly. The folks who happily commented below trying to make fun of overweight people know nothing about how life for someone obese is. You're truly insensitive and think you're God's gift but even a skinny person can become diabetic, get a heart attack and get a stroke. Everyone should be aware of their health and when a person realises that the pounds are hitting the balance, they should consult a dietition and a doctor for blood tests. Sometimes it might be lack of physical exercise, sometimes we have an unbalanced diet, but sometimes it might be an intollerance to certain food or a medical issue. Overweight people are nonetheless human beings who are surely aware of their problems so there is no need for stupid beings like the ones below pointing their finger and laugh. If you are so eager to ban cars, start that example yourselves you morons.

Mr Kevin Zammit

Jul 18th 2012, 15:08

Coincidentally yesterday this same thought as the article crossed my mind as I gave up jogging on Marsascala's sea front cause of all the people most quite young sedentarily standing idle or sitting eating a greasy pizza in some cases.

Chris Gatt

Jul 18th 2012, 15:06

Surely the photo above should have come with a health warning .Or at least a NSFW label ? :)

Gianfrancesco Buttigieg

Jul 18th 2012, 14:59

You get what you build for.

For many years we have built only for cars (there are some streets that don't even have a pavement, let alone cycle lanes etc), so it isn't surprising that people look at cycling, public transport or even walking with suspicion... even if attitudes are changing (extremely slowly).

The health and environmental problems we're going to have just 20 years down the line are simply immense... and we seem to have started early!

I honestly can't see any of the two parties having the guts to tackle green mobility, health and the environment as the interdependent problem they are, as it would mean tacking some difficult decisions and god forbid they lose a few votes by making some people change bad ingrained habits.

Is there a way out?

D Gatt

Jul 18th 2012, 14:54

Alot of negativity as always. If you don't like the judgement get off your bum and do something. 20 - 30 mins of exercise is nothing. Whoever complains about government, wages, sun and so on; I am truly sorry for your offspring.

Kenneth Galea

Jul 18th 2012, 14:47

This is a very depressing issue. Personally I balooned because I was on mediation for 7 whole years which made me gain 5 stones. I reached crisis point last month and decided enough is enough and did something about it. I had to deal with the medication first, increased my walking, watch more what I eat and energy permitting also go to the gym. For the first time in 5 years the bath scales are heading South but it is hard work and a slow process. It was a tragedy unfolding due to the medication and not the food. Please don't judge overweight people, it is not always the individual's fault. Few of my relatives I suppose spurred me on because they were brutally honest with me, they called me fat, and also a bulldog. I hate summer with a passion but I think it is the best season to lose weight.

Joe Xuereb

Jul 18th 2012, 14:39

As a nation we tend to.......

We are gregarious. We hang out or amble along at most, with people preferably. Which is not difficult - if you don't seek them out, they make sure to seek you out. Companionship as addictive human behaviour, in other words. Valletta throngs with people and yet Hastings Gardens or the beauty of Argotti or St. Philip's Gardens behind Sarria are deserted. In Summer it is the heat. In Winter the chill. And in any case, the Maltese are not much given to contemplation. The men, especially, and particularly, of a certain age have been made to think that life is about spending the time of day sitting and chatting. What is called to chill out in modern parlance. This of course, is a typical Mediterranean attitude to life, going back since forever. What is intriguing is that Greeks, of all people - who have sitting in the shade doing nothing tuned to an art form - seem to have got on their bike and are now more active. Maybe they are running away from something while we Maltese have nothing to run away from(?).

It is not difficult to find three fat male - or female - bellies in a row. In Malta, it is not difficult to even find a hundred it seems.

Mr Matthew Galea

Jul 18th 2012, 14:38

How can the government encourage exercise yet he closes down MCAST Paola's Gym and ban anything that has to do with a ball?

I remember when I was in secondary, it was ILLEGAL to take a ball with you at school or even borrow one from the PE resources.

Robert Attard

Jul 18th 2012, 14:36

the article is wrong because their mouth is very active indeed and most probably its very strong because it is well trained.....a pro I would say lol....

Isabelle Zammit

Jul 18th 2012, 14:35

too much beer and good food mate :)

Alex Buds

Jul 18th 2012, 14:34

Lots of car drivers make fun of bicyclists in Malta. Both when they're driving and even in comments on this website on an article recently. The joke is on them when they go down with heart attacks, stroke, and diabetes. Much better to get a little messy on a bike than end up in hospitals and cemeteries prematurely.

Alastair Micallef

Jul 18th 2012, 14:32

Hi im active I walk about 1 hour everyday but not sunday I like sunday to be chill and relax

S Scerri

Jul 18th 2012, 14:31

*Hide my face in shame*

H. Meilak

Jul 18th 2012, 14:26

I've seen boys and girls aged 10, 11, 12, on the beach, who look worse than the men pictured.

James Dimech

Jul 18th 2012, 14:21

Il-faqar qed jgholli rasu. Ghandna bzonn gvern progressiv u moderat.

John L Galea

Jul 18th 2012, 14:20

At least we are first in something...lol

Rocco Camilleri

Jul 18th 2012, 14:16

Fejn tidhol hxuna qed nigu l-ewwel u f'affarijiet ohra l-ahhar jew kwazi l-ahhar ( ghalkemm qed niccaqqalqu xi ftit). Din il-hxuna zejda tghidtx kemm se' tiswielu il-quddiem lil pajjiz f'medicini. Hafna ghandhom halqhom fix - xajr ( jghidu l-antiki) u ohrajn kemm jitrejqu. Hemm bzonn li nqumu mir-raqda li qedien fiha u nghamlu l-ezzercicci mehtiega halli innehhu dak ix-xaham Guz !!! Izzejjed hu nieqes jghidu, hemm bzonn insibu l-BILANC f'kollox, ghax tlifnih.

John Micallef

Jul 18th 2012, 14:02

How dare you say so?

I'm pretty active, in fact I play darts and lots of video games... ;-P

Mr Stefan Cutajar

Jul 18th 2012, 14:01

Ban their damn cars, eradicate junk food and force these idiots to start walking or exercising once in a while. They're putting the whole country to shame!

Alfred Falzon

Jul 18th 2012, 13:58

It is never too late to be first:)

A Camilleri

Jul 18th 2012, 13:54

thats because with these wages we cant afford to do anything after work rather than sit down and watch tv! and not much activity going on in summer apart from BBQ's, the heat,............... tindahlux, we like to chill!

Patrick Zammit

Jul 18th 2012, 13:50

The photo accompanying this article reminds me of the expression of disgust and horror on Stewie's face when he woke up from a nap to find...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBbPQEtUJF0

Joe Fenech

Jul 18th 2012, 13:44

No one's better than Malta and the Maltese!

A.M. Galea

Jul 18th 2012, 13:41

OMG , are they pregnant ?

joseph michael vassallo

Jul 18th 2012, 13:38

No wonder!!! In Malta just to go to the grocer or wherever 50 metres down the road one gets in his/her car.