Os malteses são uns preguiçosos

More people die of inactivity in Malta than anywhere else in the world, according to a major study. Physical activity is essential to our health. It is enjoyable, fun, makes us feel good and needs to become a regular part of our daily life Nearly one-fifth of all deaths on the island – 19.2 per cent – can be attributed to the fact that Malta has the most sedentary population of all, with nearly 72 per cent of the Maltese leading physically inactive lifestyles. The causes of death resulting from lack of exercise include coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer. The shocking figures – presenting a major public health issue for the Maltese – were published in a series of studies in The Lancet, the prestigious medical journal. In terms of physical inactivity, Malta is followed by Swaziland (69 per cent), Saudi Arabia (68.3 per cent), Serbia (68.3 per cent) and Britain (63.3 per cent). In Britain, for example, 17 per cent of deaths are blamed on lack of physical activity. In other countries, however, the mortality rate from inactivity can be as low as two per cent. In Europe, the rate is the lowest in Greece, at just 4.2 per cent. That in the US is 10.8 per cent. The Times of Malta