Malta may top the charts as far as obesity and physical inactivity rates are concerned, but according to EU statistics, the Maltese also lead as far as healthy life expectancy is concerned.

Healthy life years measure the number of years people can expect to live in a healthy condition, without severe or moderate health problems which limit their ability to maintain their usual activities.

Eurostat figures published yesterday estimate that Maltese boys born in 2011 are expected to live 70 healthy years, while girls born that year are expected to live 71. This puts Malta in first place together with Sweden, where the healthy life expectancy for males and females is 71 and 70 respectively.

According to the latest statistics, the total life expectancy at birth in Malta stands at 82.7 years for women, and 77.9 years for men.

The lowest healthy life expectancy was registered in Slovakia (52 years for both genders) and Slovenia (54 years). The EU average is 62 years.

Maltese 50-year-olds are expected to have 23 additional healthy life years: only Sweden (26 additional years for women and 25 for men) surpasses this rate. At the age of 65, Maltese men are expected to have 12 additional healthy life years and Maltese women an additional 11, respectively the third and sixth highest proportions in the EU.

The figures seemingly contrast with other statistics suggesting that the Maltese are among the world’s most physically inactive people, and that Malta, along with the UK, tops the EU’s obesity charts.

Of course, other factors play in, including the quality of healthcare provided – Malta generally compares well to other countries – environmental conditions and genetic predispositions.

Then again, a more cynical interpretation is possible, since measuring whether people are in good health is based on a degree of self-perception.

“The indicator of healthy life years measures the number of years that a person of a specific age is expected to live without any severe or moderate health problems, which means that the respondents can maintain their usual activities. It should be noted that the phrasing of the question in some countries may impact the comparability of data,” the Eurostat writes as a disclaimer.

So if the Maltese are among the world’s most obese and physically inactive people, healthy life years may just be measuring the period of time in which people’s ability to idle and eat is not hindered by poor health.