WARNING, those of you who idealize the healthy Italian lifestyle and mythical Mediterranean diet may be disappointed!

Adulti e bambini sempre più pesanti e grassi (Adults and children increasingly overweight)

Every year in Italy about 50,000 deaths are related to obesity. Amongst adults 35.5% are overweight and 10% are obese, giving a total of 45.5%, whilst 22.9% of children are overweight and 11.1% are obese, for a total of 34%. Overall, weight problems are more common in the south of Italy than in the north.

Weight related problems include: difficoltà respiratorie (breathing difficulties), problemi articolari (movement problems such as knee pain, back pain etc.), disturbi dell’apparato digerente (digestive problems), and disturbi di carattere psicologico (psychological problems).

Vince la pigrizia (Lazyness wins)

In Italy, only 21.6%, or roughly 1 in 5 people, regularly practice one or more sports. 9.7% of the population occasionally participate in sporting activities, and another 27.7% exercise regularly by walking, cycling, etc. ‘La quota di pantofolai è pari al 40,2%’ (the proportion of ‘couch potatoes’ equals 40.2%).

La dieta (Diet)

Only 5.7% of the population consume the recommended ‘5 porzioni al dì’ (5 portions a day) of fruit and vegetables. Interestingly, Italians who ‘pranzano fuori’ (eat lunch out – here in Italy many restaurants do a very good and healthy  ‘pranzo di lavoro’ (work lunch) for as little as 10 Euros) are more likely to eat the recommended quota of fruit and vegetables than those who eat at home. Unfortunately, Italy is following the western trend of consuming more sweets, salted snacks, and fizzy drinks.

L’alcol (Alcohol)

Young people imitate each other’s bad habits, and it seems that here in Italy the girls are catching up with the boys. The consumption of alcohol ‘fuori pasto’ (outside mealtimes) and of high protein foods is on the increase amongst young women between the age of 18 and 24.

Roughly 30% of the population don’t drink alcohol, (interestingly, the percentage of ‘astemi’ (non drinkers) has grown in Molise and Campania) but amongst those between the ages of 11 and 18 who are at risk of becoming serious drinkers 18% are male and 11.4% female.

Il fumo (Smoking)

In 2008 it was estimated that ‘la quota di fumatori’ (the number of smokers) amongst the population aged from 14 years upwards was around 22%, and this figure has remained stable since then. The average number of cigarettes smoked daily is 13.5 per capita, a figure which grows as you move towards southern Italy. There is, however, a noticeable gender difference: male smokers represent 28.6% of the population, and women 16.3%.

The above information is taken from the Rapporto Osservasalute 2010