Already the heaviest smokers and among the fattest European Union citizens, Greeks are also the least fit among all EU national groups, according to data released in Brussels yesterday.

A Eurobarometer poll conducted in September found that while Greeks subscribe heavily to high-flown ideas on sports, less than one in five actually indulge in any sporting activity even once a week.

The precise figure is 19 percent — the lowest in the EU. Finnish and Swedish respondents topped the fitness list at 70 percent, while northern Europeans generally outdid the more sluggish southerners in sporty activities.

Turning to sporting theory, Greeks turned out to be the hottest backers of the notion that sports can “improve dialogue between different cultures” (93 pct), help fight discrimination (90 pct), and boost team spirit (76 pct).