ISLAMABAD A majority of Pakistanis consider themselves to be in good physical shape, with 54 per cent of respondents in survey saying that their weight is normal/average.

Most who are weight conscious decrease their food intake, avoid oily foods, and exercise to stay fit, according to a survey by the Gilani Research Foundation carried out by Gallup Pakistan, PPI reports.

A nationally representative sample of men and women from both urban and rural areas of the country were asked `Overall do you think you are overweight, underweight, or just average? Seven per cent (7 pc) said they are underweight, 16 per cent claim to be overweight and 54 per cent of the respondents are of average weight.

Twenty three per cent (23 per cent) of the respondents were unsure about how much they weigh.

When respondents were asked about the extent to which they worry about their weight fluctuations, only 9 per cent seemed to worry to a great extent, 20 per cent said they get concerned to some extent, while a majority - 42 per cent -  claimed to not worry at all about their weight fluctuations. Twenty eight per cent (28 per cent) of the respondents do not have weight fluctuation issues.

In a follow-up question, when respondents were asked `Do you do anything when your weight fluctuates?` only 12 per cent said yes, 47 per cent said no and 40 per cent of the respondents claimed they are not concerned about weight fluctuations.

The survey results showed that 16 per cent of the respondents adopt special diet dieting for weight control, while 81 per cent do not. The remaining respondents gave no response.

People control their weight by various ways; when the respondents were asked `If you diet, then what do you do?` Thirty-four per cent (34 pc) decrease their food intake, 46 per cent said they avoid oily foods, while 20 per cent of the respondents prefer physical exercise.

The data reveals that a significantly higher percentage of females avoid oily food as compared to men who like to exercise more to control their weight.