The Nationalist Party will support the big food survey proposed by the government but cautions against slowing down efforts to address obesity.

PN health spokesman Claudio Grech said measures that helped decipher the underlying reasons for obesity trends were important but insisted the new study should not be positioned as “a starting point”.

It was Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne who revealed on TVM discussion show Times Talk that the government will be conducting a wide-ranging survey next year to establish the quantity, nature and volume of food consumed.

Mr Fearne said this was the first survey of its kind and will target thousands of people. It will be conducted in asso-ciation with the World Health Organisation.

This is a very complex issue

Mr Grech welcomed the development but insisted the study should not slow down ongoing efforts to address the growing problem of obesity.

“We expect government to build on the existent body of reports and studies to pursue tangible and material actions aimed at addressing the obesity-linked problems at their roots,” he said.

Mr Grech also noted that the PN will take a pro-active stance in the coming months with an initiative targeting sports and children that will be spearheaded by sports spokesman Robert Cutajar.

“This is a very complex issue and requires a multi-faceted approach,” Mr Grech said.

During the programme the parliamentary secretary said the data from the survey would enable the health authorities to take action to tackle high obesity rates at all levels.

A recent study published in The Lancet, a medical journal, re-confirmed Malta as being on the top rungs of obesity levels.

It found that when taking into consideration the body mass index – a calculation of weight and height – almost three quarters of men above 20 were overweight or obese.

This placed Malta sixth in the world for having the most overweight and obese men and the first in Europe.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com