Two-thirds of the population in Flanders eats fruit every day (compared to 60% in Wallonia and 64% in Brussels). However, only 39% eat two or more portions a day. Women are more conscientious than men, but 15 to 24-year-olds are the worst performers: fewer than half eat fruit (not counting fruit juice) daily. In the age group 55 to 64, the reverse is true: 50% eat at least two portions a day.

The Flemish also eat the most vegetables, with 87% consuming fresh vegetables daily, compared to 83% in Wallonia and 75% in Brussels. Two-thirds of Flemings eat more than 200g a day. Women, again, do slightly better than men (88:86).

The average Body Mass Index (BMI) is 25.3, which means that Belgium is too fat. One in three people is overweight, and a further 14% are considered obese. Men (54%) have more of a problem than women (40%), although the two sexes are alike when it comes to obesity. Nearly one in five of young people under the age of 17 is overweight, and 5% are obese. The worst-affected group (22%) is children aged five to nine. In Brussels region, however, the figure is over 25%.

Brussels scores better, however, when it comes to adults, with only 40% overweight, compared to 47% in Flanders and 49% in Wallonia. Some other results from the survey:

• Two-thirds in Flanders (66%) eat brown bread daily, women more than men. Children and young people eat the least

• 55% of those under 34 eat fish weekly; the percentage goes up to 67% in those aged 35-44, and 77% in those older

• Men (33%) drink more sugary drinks than women (22%); young people aged 15 to 24 drink even more (46%). 28% of Belgians drink at least one sugary drink a day

• 25% of people smoke, 21% of them every day, an average of 16 cigarettes. About the same percentage have stopped smoking, while half of all people have never smoked. Men (28%) are more likely to smoke than women (21%). Young people show the same feature: 29% of boys and 21% of girls

• One in five people (19%) had not touched a drop of alcohol in the last 12 months. The Flemish (83%) are slightly more likely to drink than people in Brussels and Wallonia

• 38% of people exercise for at least 30 minutes a day; 16% do more than four hours of sport a week; 26% never take any exercise

• The Flemish are the most active, with 48% taking half an hour of exercise daily, compared to 29% in Wallonia and only 25% in Brussels

• Meanwhile, researchers at the Catholic University of Leuven have discovered that a layer of fat is no bad thing if ever you should be sick enough to land in intensive care. At periods of severe illness, changes take place in the structure of body fat making it more effective at absorbing and storing dangerous substances like sugars and fatty acids.

Overweight brings its own health problems, including an increased susceptibility to diabetes and heart disease. But in the specific case of intensive care during critical illnesses, the team under Dr Lies Langouche and Professor Greet Van den Berghe found a strong link between overweight and better chances of survival. The research appears in the latest issue of The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

http://iph.fgov.be/EPIDEMIO/epinl/index4.htm