“Being slightly overweight might not shorten your life; being very thin might”

“Don’t worry, have another pastizz.”
That half-joking refrain, overheard in every village café from Żejtun to Żebbuġ, suddenly sounds less like cheeky self-indulgence and more like folk wisdom. A sweeping 2023 global meta-analysis led by Canadian researchers has found that modestly overweight people—those with a Body-Mass Index between 25 and 29.9—show no higher death risk than their “ideal-weight” peers, while the very thin (BMI under 18.5) actually edge toward earlier mortality. In a country where 62 % of adults are officially overweight and the national dish is essentially fried ricotta in flaky lard pastry, the findings are reverberating through Malta’s bakeries, band clubs and doctors’ surgeries alike.

Dr. Miriam Sant, consultant endocrinologist at Mater Dei, says the phones “haven’t stopped buzzing” since the paper hit The Lancet’s website. “Patients are cancelling follow-ups saying ‘I told you my few extra kilos were protective!’ But the nuance is crucial: we’re talking about mild overweight, not the severe obesity we see in one in five Maltese.” Still, she welcomes anything that chips away at “the tyranny of the scales. Maltese bodies have always been stockier than Nordic ideals in the textbooks. Perhaps we can finally decouple health from dress size.”

Island culture has long celebrated the “ħelu u sħun”—sweet and warm—physique as a sign of prosperity, especially among older generations who survived post-war shortages. Eighty-two-year-old Pawlu Camilleri from Birgu remembers weighing 48 kg when he started as a dockyard apprentice in 1958. “We were proud to be thin; it meant we could squeeze through ship hatches. Now my grandkids say I look healthier with a belly.” His social club, the Malta Historical Re-enactment Society, is even debating whether to pad actors’ costumes to reflect more authentic 18th-century Maltese girth. “Back then, only the rich could afford to be fat. Today we call it a disease. Times change.”

Yet the study’s flip-side—heightened risk for the very thin—has struck a nerve among teenagers idolising Tik-Tok’s razor-sharp cheekbones. Caritas Malta, which runs eating-disorder support groups, reports a 40 % rise in calls since January from under-weight young adults citing the research as “proof” they are fine. “We’re seeing a dangerous cherry-picking,” warns psychologist Claire Fsadni. “The paper refers to naturally lean elders, not to 17-year-olds skipping lunch to fit into crop tops at Isle of MTV.” Caritas will host a public forum on 14 July at the Valletta Campus to untangle science from social-media spin.

On the economic front, the findings could reshape the national insurance landscape. MAPFRE Middlesea confirms it is reviewing actuarial tables that currently load premiums once BMI exceeds 30. “If mild overweight truly carries neutral risk, policy pricing must evolve,” says underwriting manager Kurt Vella. “We’re crunching Maltese mortality data with the University’s statistics department; any adjustment would be phased in over years.” Meanwhile, gym chains fear a dip in renewals. “People literally high-five me saying they can quit because ‘science says I’m safer fat’,” laughs Sarah Borg, manager of SmartFit in St Julian’s. “I tell them the study still shows exercise lowers blood pressure, diabetes and depression. Don’t trade treadmill for timpana just yet.”

At Marsaxlokk Sunday market, fishmonger Carmel Abela has noticed quieter scales. “Customers used to ask me for the smallest lampuki fillet—‘għax qed inħaddem il-dieta’. Now they buy the normal steak. I sell 15 % more.” Over at the adjoining vegetable stall, Immanuel Buttigieg jokes he might start offering two-for-one on big potatoes. “If thin is risky, let’s all eat like hobbits!”

The health ministry is treading carefully. A spokesperson told HOT Malta that existing dietary guidelines “remain unchanged” but admitted a local adaptation is due in 2025. “We’ll incorporate Mediterranean-specific BMI cut-offs and waist-to-hip ratios that better reflect our population.” Until then, officials urge islanders to keep walking the coastal garigue, swimming in Għajn Tuffieħa and sharing mezze—ideally with less salt and more olive oil.

Conclusion
Malta’s love affair with hearty food and fuller figures may have received a scientific stamp of approval, but experts warn against swinging from fat-phobia to thin-phobia overnight. Moderate overweight appears harmless; extreme thinness can be lethal. Between those poles lies the sweet spot celebrated in village festa toasts—neither stuffed nor starved, simply nourished enough to dance to a brass band till the confetti settles. So go on, enjoy that pastizz—just maybe share the bag, and walk home up the hill.