Sharp increase

Conscripts: over 11 percent obese

Among Austria's conscripts born in 2005, more than eleven percent are classified as obese.

(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth)

Around a third of men born in 2005 were over the normal weight when they joined the armed forces. 21.4 percent were considered overweight. This corresponds to the rising trend of previous years.

A further 11.2 percent of those liable for military service were even obese, according to figures published by Statistics Austria on Thursday. The proportion of smokers, on the other hand, fell to 12.9 percent.

Of the men born in 1985 - i.e. 40 years ago - 15.5 percent were overweight and 5.8 percent were obese at that time.

Body size increased on average
The average height at the so-called muster of the armed forces rose from 177.8 to 178.8 centimetres during this comparative period. In contrast, the average weight of young men born between 1985 and 2005 increased from 72.3 to 77.0 kilograms.

Of those born in 2005, 60.5 percent were of normal weight and 6.9 percent were underweight according to the body mass index (BMI for short).

Fewer and fewer smokers
The proportion of smokers among young men is developing positively. This has fallen significantly over the years, from 16.3 to 12.9 percent from the 2004 to 2005 birth cohorts alone, i.e. to a non-smoking rate of 87.1 percent. At 52.2 percent, more than half of those born in 1985 still smoked at the time of their enlistment.

The rate is highest among conscripts born in 2005 without a positive compulsory school leaving certificate, 30.4 percent of whom stated that they smoked. Of those with a compulsory school-leaving certificate, 18.2 percent smoked at the time of enlistment. In contrast, young men who were still attending secondary school at the time of their enlistment or who had already graduated from secondary school hardly ever smoked. In each case, around three percent, i.e. around 97 percent, were non-smokers.

Figures on fitness no longer recorded
Every male Austrian citizen is required to enlist from the age of 17. The call-up for enlistment takes place in the calendar year in which the 18th birthday is reached.

The main aim of the enlistment procedure is to determine fitness for military service and ends with a decision on fitness or unfitness for basic military service. This information from the Ministry of Defense is no longer available to Statistics Austria from the 2005 birth cohort onwards.