Six in ten Flemish people do not get enough exercise and half of them are overweight, according to a new report.
60% of Flemish people aged 15 and older spent less than 150 minutes per week on physical activity last year, a figure that remains unchanged from 2018, according to the report released by Statistics Flanders.
Women are less active than men, with 67% of women exercising insufficiently compared to 52% of men, and 73% of those with lower education levels lead the least active lifestyles.
The proportion of Flemish people overweight has also reached a peak.
49.4% of the population aged 18 and older had a BMI of 25 or more in 2024, marking the highest percentage since measurements began in 2001, when it was 43%.
More men (53%) are overweight compared to women (46%), and a significant gap exists between those with lower education (57%) and higher education (43%).
81% of Flemish people reported consuming alcohol at least once in the past year. Among them, 15% are considered excessive drinkers, consuming at least ten drinks per week — a slight increase from 13.9% in 2018.
Notably, 23% of men fall into this category compared to just 7% of women, and 17% of highly educated individuals drink excessively versus 11% of those with less education.
There is, however, good news regarding smoking habits. The proportion of (occasional) smokers in Flanders continues to decline, with 15.9% of the population identified as smokers, and 11.3% smoking daily.
This downward trend has continued since 2001. Men (19%) are significantly more likely to smoke than women (13%), and smoking is more prevalent among those with lower education (21%) compared to those with higher education (12%).
