Obesity is a growing health concern for the global and local population, with studies continuously presenting alarming figures. Stephanie Fsadni looks into available data and what is being done at a national level to address the problem.

The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate recently launched an anti-obesity campaign called Healthy Weight for Life, promoting a Mediterranean diet and urging consumers to read labels.

Obesity has reached unprecedented proportions on an international level. Figures released this year showed that 640 million people globally weigh in as obese, with more than one in 10 men and one in seven women being obese. This number shot up from 105 million since 1975.

Study results do not augur well for the Maltese population either.  The same study, published on the The Lancet medical journal last month, revealed that Maltese men are among the heaviest in Europe, having the highest body mass index along with males in Ireland and Cyprus.

The problem stems from a young age. A local study, released last week as part of an anti-obesity campaign called Healthy Weight for Life, showed that close to a third of all boys of secondary school age are obese.

Children from all State, Church and private schools had their body mass index measured during PE lessons. There are 10,852 obese children, 5,889 of them in private schools and the rest at secondary schools. The data also showed that 15 per cent of all children are overweight, though in the case of girls in secondary schools, the rate stands at 16.9 per cent.

These results followed the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HSBC) report by the World Health Organisation, published in March, which showed that while the obesity rate in 11-year-olds had fallen, Maltese children were still the most obese in more than 40 countries.

The situation is certainly worrying. But what is being done at a national level to address the situation?

“The Health Department is aware of the obesity issue among the Maltese population, men and women, and is addressing the matter from many different fronts,” says Charmaine Gauci, director of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate.

“These initiatives include educational campaigns on healthy eating guidelines and a healthy weight for life campaign which is currently under way.”

Experts profess the need to focus on a healthy, balanced diet and exercise, something which the Maltese may not be culturally inclined to do. Therefore, campaigns need to focus on these crucial elements.

“Through different media, the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate is constantly advocating the need for a healthier lifestyle by means of choosing the right food items and the right ingredients when one is shopping and preparing his food.”

The department actively promotes the Mediterranean diet, which emphasises the need to eat plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and nuts. This diet also replaces saturated fats such as butter with non-saturated ones such as olive oil and using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavour food. All this helps in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and other health-related problems.

Food labelling is very important and everyone is encouraged to read labels when shopping for food and drink.

One should also consider cooking methods and ensure adequate portion sizes.

Gauci claims that awareness raising campaigns on how to read food labels seem to have worked.

“The demand for information about food labels and how to read labels has increased among the public. In fact we have a food label card available for the public to guide them on choosing foods,” she says.

The department is also carrying out a National Food Consumption Survey and results will be published once the study is completed.

A campaign particularly targeted at children’s diet is the Lunchbox campaign, which encourages parents to give their children healthy food and drinks for school, such as cereals, seasonal fruit and vegetables, low-fat milk and milk products and plain water as drink.

As regards fitness, there are various outreach activities focusing on fitness for children in schools and fitness classes for adults held in several localities around Malta and Gozo.

Furthermore, following the results of the National BMI study Health Minister Chris Fearne set up a clinical task force, chaired by paediatrician Victor Grech, to present concrete recommendations on how to tackle the obesity problem – especially in children – based on the currently available evidence. The recommendations are expected to be made by the end of this summer.