The National Statistics Institute conducted a survey, concerning the total consumption of the Bulgarian nation. Data showed that the average income of Bulgarian families is 390 levs (about EUR 195) for one month. Of those, averages of 130 levs (about EUR 65) are usually spent on food and non-alcoholic drinks, while only 20 levs (about EUR 10) are paid for healthcare and transportation each. A puny 12 levs (about EUR 6) are the average sum allowed for leisure, arts and education, and 13.3 levs (about EUR 6.6) are spent on taxes. Most of a month’s typical diet consists of bread and paste products-10.4 kg per household. The consumed meat is only 2.2 kg, as compared to 2.5 kg for the same month last year. The consumption of milk and fresh fruits has also slightly decreased in 2004 compared to 2003.
As a natural consequence of these eating habits professor Vladimir Hristov, chief director of the Clinic in Endocrinology at a famous Bulgarian hospital, pointed out that the country ranks fifth in Europe in amounts of overweight people. First in the line is Serbia and second in this chart is Greece. Bulgarian hospital data showed that 300 million people have the sickness of adiposity. 55% of all Bulgarians are overweight, 18% have been officially diagnosed with fattening disease, 40% of the children in Bulgaria have weight which is outside of the medically determined limits for their age and 10% of these are diagnosed with fattening disease. It is well known that overweight causes heart problems but according to professor Hristov the risk is even higher with people whose waist is over 88 centimeters (for women) and 102 centimeters (for men).
