Half of Bahrainis are either obese or overweight, according to the latest figures.

The majority of obese people are women, but more men are overweight, sparking a warning over the growing pattern of unhealthy lifestyles among adults.

"So you see we have several overweight males, who are on the verge of being obese," said Health Ministry public health directorate nutrition section head Dr Nadia Gharib.

"The obesity rate among adults aged 20 and above is about 30 per cent and if you also include people who are overweight it shoots up to 54pc."

However, among adolescents, aged between seven and 18, the obesity rate is nearly 24pc.

The figures follow the release of an international study that ranks Bahrain among the world's top 10 fattest nations. The Weight of Nations: an Estimation of Adult Human Biomass revealed people consume nearly 3,000 calories daily and the average adult weighs about 74kg.

It was compiled by a team of European researchers from London-based online publisher BioMed Central, which ranked Bahrain number 10 in the heaviest category.

"In Bahrain an average adult consumes 2,889 calories per day and the average weight of adults is 13.6 per tonne," said the study.

"Currently, more than a billion adults are overweight and in all regions of the world the entire population distribution of body mass is moving upwards."

Kuwait, Qatar and UAE are also included in the list, ranking second, fourth and sixth respectively with the US topping the chart.

The team used data for each country from available information on body mass index and height distribution to estimate average adult body mass.

However, some countries and territories were excluded from the analysis due to insufficient statistics.

The report also quotes a United Nations projection that the world population could grow an additional 2.3 billion people by 2050.

Researchers also warned that increased global demand for food arising from a rise in body mass could lead to higher food prices.

They also compiled a Lightest 10 Nations list, which is topped by Bangladesh and also includes Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Cambodia, North Korea and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Meanwhile, health officials are trying to tackle the growing problem in the ministry's five specialised nutrition clinics, which deal with obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Plans are also underway to open the sixth facility in either Manama or Isa Town. The ministry runs the existing clinics at the National Bank of Bahrain Health Centre, Dair, Arad, Hamad Town and East Riffa.