A European pilot study in which Malta has taken part has exposed a major difference in what people believe to be true about their health to what the actual situation is.

For the respondents of this study did not only answer the questions – they were also examined.

The European Health Examination Survey pilot study 2010 was held in 13 EU countries. The feasibility of carrying it out across the EU will now be considered.

221 people over 18 were interviewed and examined in Malta, where a similar pilot study had been held in 1984.

The participating countries have now issued their reports, which will now be gathered in a comparative one.

The survey looked at the participants' blood pressure, sugar level, body mass index, cholesterol and, in the case of Malta, the amount of lead in the blood, vision and lung function.

Malta's results for body mass index showed that the Maltese are becoming heavier.

The number of people with normal weight dropped from 32.4 per cent in 1984 to 23 per cent in 2010, while those who were overweight increased from 45.5 per cent in 1984 to 47.2 per cent in 2010 and the obese from 22.1 per cent to 29.6 per cent.

Only 21.4 per cent of women admitted they were obese but on being examined, 32 per cent were found to be so. While 24.8 per cent of men perceived themselves to be obese, 28.2 per cent actually were.

While 7.8 per cent of women said they believed they had diabetes, 10.7 per cent were actually found to have the disease. But when it came to men, nine per cent had the disease when 9.6 per cent said they thought they did.

Only 23.7 per cent of those interviewed believed they suffered from hypertension, when in actual fact 41.7 per cent did.

Directorate for Health, Information and Research director Neville Calleja said that while diabetes awareness had increased over the years, the same could not be said about hypertension.

A positive finding was a sharp decrease in people suffering from blood cholesterol from 48 per cent in 1984 to 22.5 per cent in 2010.