Maltese Youngsters Tell Us Why Malta Is Fat, And Give Tips On How We Could Slim Down
A recent World Health Organisation report found that 40% and 36% of Maltese children and adolescents are overweight.
Malta’s under-18s are very well aware of the issue and very aware of the fact that being obese can lead to some trouble in their health down the line.
Some of these youngsters shared their thoughts in Lovin Malta’s weight loss survey and even gave us a few ideas on what needs to be done to fix the damage. Check them out below.
1. Maltese kids love to graze
Young adults taking part in the survey all admitted to grazing throughout the day rather than having three full meals and leaving it at that.
Though in the survey, it was quite clear that most of their food came from the less healthful choices.
Frequent snacking on empty calories only served to worsen hunger pangs. And this often meant more and more indulgence.
When prompted, one respondent gave her views on where this could all be coming from.
“They don’t teach us anything about calories at school, or how to cook anything other than a sandwich when we’re at home.”
2. Maltese youths struggle to eat a single healthy meal
When asked, 73% of all under-18 respondents said that they struggle to eat a single, healthy meal. In fact, the most consumed foods in the age bracket were breads, pastas, sweets, and meats.
Few consumed fruits and vegetables and very few consumed fish.
“I hate [those foods] with a passion deeply ingrained within me.”
When asked why, the answers were either attributed to ‘cravings’ or “because that’s what [our families] keep in the house.”
A handful of respondents did, however, enjoy the odd fruit, and were even aware of the benefits of snagging the in-season bunch.
“If certain fruits are in season (like strawberries), I’ll definitely take some. And I generally enjoy having some common fruits like bananas at home.”
Alcohol did not seem to be a problem, even though many still picked soft drinks and fruit juices as their beverages of choice.
However, Maltese youngsters were also keen on takeaways, sometimes even stating that it was a more favourable option than eating at home.
“It’s more convenient than making food from scratch, and it also tastes good most of the time.”
Fortunately, they were conscious that frequent dining on burgers and pizza was bad for them. For this reason, some argued that “fewer fast-food restaurants in Malta,” could be a sound strategy to help the country’s obesity crisis.
“We need to make healthy food more available,” said one respondent. “Take a leaf out of Japan’s book by promoting healthy eating and healthy restaurants.”
3. Exercise received mixed reviews from Malta’s youth
Just under 50% of all teenage respondents said they engage in some form of physical activity at least three times per week. The rest, however, did not give much importance to physical activity.
Of the ones who did exercise, they did so out of a desire to both look good and feel healthy. Some respondents were even aspiring athletes who did everything by the book (diet included).
Interestingly, some of those who did not exercise regularly expressed a desire to do so.
“It would be great if we had more sports at school, and a better selection at that.”
“I would work out if we had better outdoor gym areas with high-quality equipment.”
Two-thirds of Maltese under-18’s taking the Lovin Malta weight loss survey said that they were overweight, and now they have spoken.
Presently, the state has launched a study to investigate the gravity of the problems of childhood obesity in Malta and is attempting to make information to reverse the condition more available.
With indications leaning towards problems in our lifestyle and culture in general, one could argue that quite a radical change may be needed to prompt Malta’s consider more salads.
With Malta’s youth speaking out, could we see a change on the horizon?