Irish people are increasing in size at the third-fastest rate in the EU, according to the latest health survey conducted for the European Commission.
Published yesterday, the results show that between 2002 and the end of last year, people in the Republic got 1.6kg heavier and now average 73.2kg.
They were beaten in the weight-gaining stakes only by the Luxembourgers, who put on an average of 2.7kg, and the Danes, with 1.7kg extra.
And although they are clocking in at a higher weight average and their weight is higher than the EU average of 72.2kg, Irish people are still behind the 75.9kg of the Danes and the 75.8kg of the Dutch.
Non-EU member Croatia has the heaviest citizens of the 29 countries surveyed, with an average of 76.3kg.
At the other end of the scale, the French (69.7kg), Portuguese (69kg) and Italians (68.7kg) appear to be the most svelte in the EU.
The report notes that weight/height ratio - known as body mass index (BMI) - gives a clearer picture of the incidence of corpulence in Europe. Using this scale, Ireland comes in at number 16 of the 29 countries, with Croatians and Luxembourgers having the highest index and France and Italy once again emerging at the thinner end of the scale.
Despite weight gains, Irish citizens are the most positive about their health in the EU, with 87 per cent feeling they are in good or very good health. However, 36 per cent think they weigh too much, up from 31 per cent in 2002.
Dieting rather than exercise now appears to be how people prefer to lose weight. While 24 per cent said they had been on a diet in the 12 months before the survey was conducted - November to December 2004 - the amount of heavy and moderate exercise recorded in the 2005 survey dropped in both cases when compared to 2002.
Meanwhile, 25 per cent said they found it difficult to eat a healthy diet, and over a third said choosing healthy food took too much time and that health food was seen as bland and unappetising.
Some 94 per cent said they either "totally agreed" or "tended to agree" that the Government should be encouraging people to eat healthily.
The survey come as Europe wakes up to rising levels of obesity. Focusing on children, EU health commissioner Markos Kyprianou said 14 million children in the EU were either overweight or obese, with a further 400,000 becoming overweight every year.
Fearful of being regulated by the EU and prodded into action by public opinion - nine out of 10 Europeans believe that advertising influences children in their food and drink choice - a number of companies, including C&C Ireland, yesterday announced voluntary measures to tackle obesity.