Berlin, Germany (AHN) - A recent National Consumption Study among Germans showed contrasting weight problems between genders in the country. While two-thirds of German men were officially overweight, 10 percent of German women below 17 were underweight and not taking in sufficient nutrients to remain healthy.

Even younger German men were not spared the weight problem since almost one-third of males between 18 to 29 were overweight. Older German women had weight problems also, with 51 percent officially overweight.

The new findings confirm a European Union study last year that found Germans to be the fattest among Europeans. The weight problem is attributed to the lack of knowledge on calorie content and daily calorie requirements, the study said. Only 10 percent of those interviewed were aware of how many calories they need or how many they had taken in.
 

In coming up with the conclusion that many Germans have weight problems, the study based it on the body mass index of a
person. The ideal BMI is between 25 and 30, beyond 30 one is considered having a weight problem.

The survey covered 20,000 Germans between 14 to 80. It included information on their eating behavior, sport activities, shopping habits and lifestyle.

The obesity problem is shared across the continent. According to the 15th European Congress on Obesity held on April 2007, a major health and social crisis loom in the region as obesity levels go up among adults and children.