Over 40 percent of Swiss overweight

Swiss health survey: over 40 percent of Swiss overweight

12/10/2013

According to the 2012 Swiss Health Survey, only three percent described their health as bad. But overweight, alcohol and tobacco are still causing problems.

Majority feels healthy
In the most recent health survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), 83 percent of the approximately 21,500 respondents said their well-being was good to very good. As mediocre estimated another 14 percent of their health, the results presented on Thursday in Bern. FSO Director Georges-Simon Ulrich said that it was also gratifying that three out of four people were physically fit. Thus, the proportion of persons who exercise physically at least two and a half hours per week with medium intensity increased since 2002 from 61.5 to 72 percent.

41 percent overweight
In addition to these positive results, however, negative developments are also noticeable. As a result, more and more people in Switzerland are struggling with obesity, which increases their risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Of the population over 15 years, 41 percent come to a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more, and is therefore considered to be overweight by international definition.
More men than women overweight
The proportion of obese people (BMI over 30) has almost doubled in the last 20 years. This is especially true since younger people between the ages of 15 and 24 are increasingly overweight. The obesity share in 1992 was still six percent in men and five percent in women, today it reaches eleven or nine percent. Women are less likely to be overweight than men. Every second man over the age of 35 would weigh too much. In addition, a link with the educational level is also seen. People with a university degree are less likely to be overweight. The BMI is not quite uncontroversial as a measure of overweight.

Less passive smoking due to stricter regulations
According to the health survey, the stricter rules against smoking would also have made itself felt to protect against passive smoking. For example, six percent of respondents stated that they had to passively grope regularly, meaning at least one hour a day. In 2002, the proportion was still at 26 percent. According to Marco Storni of the FSO, the proportion of smokers remained about constant, but there is a tendency to more casual and less high-smokers. The proportion of the latter, who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day, halved from 18 percent to nine percent within 20 years.

Especially men tend to drink
According to the study, 18 percent of respondents would show risky behavior when drinking alcohol. According to the FSO, it is risky for someone to over-drink on a regular basis (four 0.3-liter glasses of beer for men) or drink too much at least once a month (six glasses and more). Among older people daily alcohol consumption is more common than younger people. The so-called binge drinking is mainly a male problem and especially one of the younger ones.

Main risk factors overweight, alcohol and tobacco
Pascal Strupler, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, was pleased with the good health of the population. However, like the study authors, he left it open whether this well-being corresponded to the real state of health. Strupler noted that cardiovascular and cancer have increased in recent years. The main risk factors for non-communicable diseases are still overweight, alcohol and tobacco.

Important disease prevention
Disease prevention is therefore so important. It would be necessary to target the risk groups for the education about health risks. The health survey provides evidence for this. The results of the survey, which have now been presented, are the first evaluations that the FSO intends to follow in the coming year with more sophisticated investigations. The health survey will be conducted every five years as part of the new Swiss census. (Ad)

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