Although the number of overweight and obese adolescents has increased, the percentage of daily fruit consumption and exercise is also on the increase according to the preliminary results of the 2010 health behaviour in school children survey.

Public Health superintendent Ray Busuttil said this could reflect a healthier generation in the future.

The survey, which is carried out every four years, targets 11, 13 and 15 year old. A total 1,400 children from independent, church and state schools were interviewed. The full report will be published in June.

It found that the percentage of smoking among 15-year-olds in 2010 was significantly less than in 2006. While 8.6 per cent of boys and nine per cent of girls smoked in 2010, four years earlier there had been 19 per cent of boys and 24 per cent of girls.

Another trend shown in these figures was more girls than boys were now smoking when traditionally women smoked less.

When it came to alcohol consumption while 51 per cent of boys and 39 per cent of girls consumed alcohol in 2006, these figures were down to 40.6 per cent of boys and 29.5 per cent of girls in 2010.

Soft drinks consumption was approximately the same as in 2006 but while boys drank more soft drinks as they grew older, girls drank less.

The adolescents were also asked about sexual intercourse. As those in church schools were asked this question for the first time this year, no comparisons with previous years could be made.

17 per cent of 15-year-old boys and 13.4 per cent of girls said they had sexual intercourse.

Dr Busuttil said he was pleased with the overall results.

Improvements had been registered over the past four years and he hoped that with the initiatives the government would take these trends would continue.

The government would analyse why there have been improvements so as to continue building on them. However, there was no doubt that one of the main factors was the development of comprehensive strategies which gave clear direction and set specific targets.