SPANISH people are officially the healthiest in the world and women live longer than anywhere else in Europe, according to the WHO.
But the World Health Organisation has warned that Spanish adults are also among the fattest, with 23.7% of adults aged 18-plus being considered clinically obese last year – higher than in 2010 when they accounted for 22.1% of the country's population.
And Spaniards classed as medically overweight make up 60.9% of the native population – some 1.7% higher than five years ago.
The WHO says smoking and drinking alcohol could 'threaten the excellent work' of the population in general and medical services by reducing quality of health and life expectancy, although with Spain recording a higher-than-average consumption of alcohol and of smokers – officially, three in 10 adults in the country – as yet, neither seems to have shortened lives across the board.
Women in Spain have an average life expectancy of 85 and a half, having risen from 85 years and four-and-a-half months in 2010 – female Spaniards have gained an extra fortnight of life in the last five years.
Claudia Stein from the United Nations' Information, Evidence, Research and Innovation Division says Spaniards' health is 'extremely good' and that this is a combination of lifestyle, diet, and excellent medical services.
Men are now living longer than they were five years ago – from 79 years, two months and one week in 2010, their life expectancy is now 79 years and four-and-a-half months, meaning they have gained an extra five weeks of life in as many years.
Spanish women live the longest in Europe, although men live ninth-longest in the world behind the Swiss, Israelis, Cypriots, Icelandics, Italians, Swedes, Norwegians and Dutch.
All causes of mortality in Spain are descending in number of cases, and their incidence is 'in line with or below' the average for Europe as a whole.
The four greatest causes of non-contagious and non-infectious natural causes are cardiovascular – heart attacks and strokes, principally – cancer, diabetes and respiratory problems.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com