Malta has once again been singled out for the alarming rate of obese people within the population. The latest figures from Eurostat have confirmed that Maltese men are the most obese in the European Union, while the figures for women and children are equally, dangerously high. These are not statistics to be proud of.

One can point an accusing finger at the large amount of pastizzi and confectionary shops as well as to the proliferation of fast food outlets all over the island, as a possible cause for this sharp spike in obesity rates. However, the easy availability is just one aspect. Surely, the reason for the considerable number of food outlets which sell items that are rich in fat and sugar content is because there is a demand for them.

We can also point to the lack of an exercise culture, the fact that we use our cars even for a 10-minute errand around the corner and the indifference towards sports in schools as possible reasons. A reliance on Internet, television, PlayStation games and DVDs for our entertainment has also further encouraged a sedentary lifestyle which sees less children running in the playgrounds and more of them hooked to their iPods.

However, even with all these mitigating factors, we are still not looking properly at the reasons why people over-eat to the point of becoming obese; clearly, it’s not just because they are hungry.

Despite countless campaigns urging people to eat less and exercise more, despite numerous fad diets which come and go, and despite constant promotions of various slimming programmes, we have become a population where being seriously overweight has come to be considered the norm. The problem is that unless we look more closely at the psychological issues at play, this health problem will only get worse, putting further pressure on a healthcare system which is already groaning under the strain of having not enough doctors and nurses.

Psychologists will tell you that many people over-eat to fill an emotional void, to escape their problems and to hide behind their weight when they cannot face the world around them. It is an addiction like any other – be it drugs or alcohol – where the comfort which they receive through eating their favourite food offers a temporary respite from everything else. The prospect of having to deal with a situation which causes them stress is like a trigger which leads them to over-indulge, and they simply cannot stop.

Psychological over-eating is also something which is learned; in families where parents use food to compensate for what is bothering them, it is inevitable that the children will do the same. Negative eating habits can be unlearned only if more focus is placed on the real reasons behind it. Otherwise, it will only lead to yo-yo dieting with people alternating between starving themselves and stuffing themselves, which is equally unhealthy.