Many Italians Have Unhealthy Habits

FLORENCE (Reuters Health) - Too much salami, too much wine and too little exercise--that's the verdict on the health of Italians from a survey released by the national statistics bureau Istat at a meeting in Rome.

The report assessed the state of Italy's health and healthcare in 1999-2000. People with more education and more economically advantaged individuals tended to enjoy better health, the survey found.

One in four of Italy's 58 million citizens lead a sedentary life, the survey revealed, while 16 million are overweight and 4 million are obese.

Smoking is still a big problem in the country: there are 12 million smokers, 32.2% of men and 18.2% of women. The growing number of young smokers is a particular concern, according to the report. Twenty-two percent of 14- to 24-year-olds smoke, an increase of nearly 9% since 1993.

Adolescents are also bad eaters, preferring meat and salami to rice, pasta, vegetables and fruit, the survey found.

Almost 3 million men and 500,000 women drink more than half a liter of wine every day, and 400,000 young people reportedly abuse alcohol.

Overall, the survey recorded a marked disadvantage in the south when it comes to healthcare, lifestyle and disability.

"The poor people of the south are in worse health condition compared to the poor people of the north. We can't explain why this is happening," the report said.

More than 8% of the population, mostly women and old people, take daily doses of analgesics, sleeping pills, laxatives, nasal sprays or digestives, the survey found. Tranquilizers are used daily by 3.3% of the population, in particular old women.

The report comes on the eve of the presentation of a new drug reimbursement scheme. Health minister Girolamo Sirchia will introduce it on Thursday to the pharmaceutical trade organization Farmindustria, the pharmacist association Federfarma and the patients' rights group Tribunal of the Sick.

Under the new plan, which the government hopes will trim spending by at least 750 million euros in 2003, reimbursement eligibility for a drug will be established focusing on cost-effectiveness.

Changes in the list of reimbursable drugs will have to be made by the CUF (Pharmaceutical Commission) by 30 September. The new reimbursement scheme is expected to be effective by November.

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