ROME, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Italian health outcomes took a turn for the worse during the coronavirus pandemic, a report released Thursday has shown.

       Italy's National Statistics Institute, or ISTAT, surveyed more than 45,000 individuals in nearly 20,000 families between March and May 2021, looking into health factors including smoking, obesity, alcohol use and exercise.

       Though the survey did not look specifically into outcomes tied to the pandemic, respondents were questioned as Italy was emerging from the second wave of coronavirus infections in the country.

       ISTAT's research showed that nearly half of the country's adult population was either overweight or obese, terms that refer to levels of fat accumulation significant enough to impair health. The survey found 34.2 percent of the country's population aged over 18 was overweight, with another 12.0 percent listed as obese.

       Both figures are new highs for Italy, ISTAT said. However, these levels are still slightly better than the global averages of 39.0 percent being overweight and 13.0 percent obese, according to data from the World Health Organization.

       More than a third of Italians questioned said they did not practice any kind of sport or physical activity in their spare time, with women being generally more sedentary than men. Nearly one in five Italians smoked regularly, a figure that has been slowly falling in Italy in recent years. Two in three Italians aged 11 or older said they drank alcohol at least occasionally, with wine being the most common type of alcohol consumed.