Subsidised gym memberships for overweight individuals

The numerous campaigns launched over the years in the hope of tackling an ever-increasingly obese and overweight population have yet to produce concrete results.

Malta can boast of the dubious honour of having the highest levels of obesity in Western Europe, as one study after another has continued to show.

According to the latest study published in the Lancet, 74% of men and 58% of women in Malta are overweight or obese.

According to the latest study, not a single country achieved success in reducing obesity rates in the last three decades, and obesity is expected to continue rising steadily.

In a bid to tackle this issue, the parliamentary secretary for health is planning subsidised gym membership for overweight individuals.

In comments to MaltaToday, a spokesperson for parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne said the Health Ministry was taking the situation “very seriously”.

“The parliamentary secretariat, together with the parliamentary secretary for sports, will soon be issuing a call for gyms across the island to participate in an initiative to provide subsidised gym memberships for overweight individuals. This will be done as part of a holistic program for individuals to achieve weight control,” a spokesperson said.

The health ministry was also seeking collaboration with the Ministry for Education to improving access to healthy diets for school children.

The government however has no plans to tax fast foods, nor to subsidise healthy food. This was originally suggested by GP Daniel Sammut, co-author of ‘Audit of the diagnosis and management of adult obesity in a Maltese general practice’. The study appeared in the Malta Medical Journal last year.

Leading a healthy lifestyle also means eating healthy food such as fresh fruit and vegetables and fish. However, it transpires that not every household affords to eat healthily on a daily basis.

According to data issued by the National Statistics Office in January 2014, some 13% of households could not afford to eat a meal with chicken, meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day.

It is estimated that treating Malta’s obesity problem could cost the country’s coffers up to €35 million by 2020. Estimates released earlier this year by the health ministry showed that the country could save €3 million a year in healthcare costs if 4.3% of obese people lost enough weight to be classified as overweight.

Fast-food consumption not necessarily the culprit

Personal trainer Jovan Reljic blames poor dietary habits and lack of exercise for Malta’s obesity rates.

“For many years, many have been quick to attribute rapid increases in child obesity rates to fast-food consumption as the root cause. Yet, studies have uncovered a more complex problem: poor all-day-long dietary habits and lack of exercise,” Reljic said.

He argued that the biggest issue may not be the odd fast-food meal, but the increasing amount of processed foods and sweetened beverages available in our homes, consumed by our children without much thought.

“Children in particular are spending more time at home, in front of their computer screens, on their smart phones and playing video games… and most likely snacking while doing so.”

He explained that the repercussions of this were quite drastic. A very problematic “energy balance” – less energy expenditure and a sharp rise in energy intake by way of empty calories – is giving rise to the obesity epidemic.

Processed foods such as crisps hold very little nutritional value and high amounts of calories.

Even the way Western society is changing leaves an impact. According to Reljic, the solution may not lie in simply taxing fast food, but rather to actively create educational campaigns and increase awareness among parents.

“Parents must realise how damaging certain food is. Sometimes parents are side-tracked by hectic working hours which almost always leads to convenience: for example, the soft drink they just gave their child comes in a larger bottle than they used to consume in their youth… and contains a whopping 45 grams of sugar.”