(ANSA) - Italians are healthier than ever, smoking less and shunning fast food in favour of traditional balanced lunches, a study said Friday.
But they also feel much poorer, according to the annual report from national statistics institute Istat.
Almost 75% of Italians feel in good health and 70% report that their midday meal is still 'sacred', Istat said. Even more of the population, 80%, reported they eat a big, healthy breakfast - a sharp rise over recent years.
Only 22% of Italians said they were still smokers, a drop of 2% on the last report.
But about half the Italian population is unhappy with its economic situation - a rise of some eight percent compared to three years ago. Almost 60% of people in the poorer south are feeling the
pinch, Istat said. Perhaps because of the recent economic crunch, Italians are taking much shorter holidays, the survey found.
On a brighter note, they are taking more holidays and going ever farther afield, Istat said.
The survey also found more women in work than previous years but largely in part-time employment.
One in four women work half a day, it said.
The report also found that three in four households have cellphones and there has been a recent boom in sales of air-conditioning units.
