Almost one in two Swiss residents considered overweight

Just 13% of people in Switzerland eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day Keystone

Nearly half of people in Switzerland are overweight, with just 13% of the population consuming the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, according to a national survey. 

The survey from the Federal Health Office and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, entitled menuCH, found that 54% of respondents had a normal body mass index. Meanwhile, 44% are considered overweight and 2% – mostly women – are underweight. The body mass index is a standard measure of body fat percentage based on height and weight. 

The menuCh study did not find any noticeable regional differences among Switzerland’s language regions when it came to the percentage of the population that was overweight. 

Switzerland’s regions were also similar when it came to eating the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. While nearly 90% of respondents eat at least one fruit or vegetable portion per day, one quarter eat three to four servings and just 13% eat five daily. 

Regional differences did emerge among those who eat very few fruits and vegetables, with 22% of people in the Italian-speaking region reporting consuming less than one daily serving. That figure changes to 13% in German-speaking Switzerland and 12% in the French-speaking area. 

About 2,000 adults across Switzerland participated in the menuCH survey, for which they voluntarily reported their eating and exercise habits and had their weights and heights measured. 

The current available statistics only reflect data from 18 to 64-year-olds in the country. A more detailed analysis will follow in 2017.