Most Swiss say they are feeling fit

The overwhelming majority of Swiss people consider themselves healthy, according to a survey published on Friday.

The Federal Statistics Office conducted a poll last year that asked 18,760 people how they felt about their health. Of them, 87 per cent responded “good” or “very good”, a figure that declined to 65 per cent for those over the age of 75.

But from the figures they gave about their height and weight, nearly four out of ten people turned out to be overweight, which compares with 30 per cent in 1990.

The overweight problem tends to increase with age, although it falls again after the age of 75.

On the other hand, nearly four out of ten young women do not weigh as much as they should.

Of those questioned, 28 per cent admitted that they smoked tobacco. Men smoke more than women, and the greatest proportion of smokers is among people aged between 15 and 24. The proportion of non-smokers who felt that they were exposed to passive smoke at least one hour a day had dropped to 16 per cent from 27 per cent in 2002.

The figures revealed that in the 15-24 age group, 37 per cent of men had tried cannabis at least once, compared with 22 per cent of women.

The survey also found that one in five men and one in ten women said they consumed alcohol every day.