Half of Netherlands residents are overweight

Half of the people living in the Netherlands are overweight or obese, according to the newest health monitor by Statistics Netherlands, and health institutes RIVM and GGD. Among people over the age of 65, two thirds are too heavy, De Stenter reports.

People with a body mass index (bmi) of 25 or more are considered overweight. People with a bmi of 30 or more are considered obese. 14 percent of adults in the Netherlands are obese.

The figures differ on a regional level. The Drenthe region tops the list with 52.9 percent of its adult residents being overweight, followed by the Flevoland region with 52.4 percent. Amsterdam is on the bottom of the list with 40.7 percent of its residents weighing too much.

Men are more likely to be overweight than women. But women are more likely to be obese than men. Since the 80's the proportion of overweight Dutch doubled.