Nordic women eat healthier than their male counterparts, and less than one Nordic child in ten maintains a healthy diet. These are some of the findings of the first Nordic study with comparable results on diet, physical activity and overweight, headed by the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark.
In autumn 2011, the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark partnered with researchers from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden on conducting the first joint Nordic study on diet, physical activity and overweight. The study for the first time enables comparison of the findings across national borders, providing answers to questions such as: Which Nordic country consumes the most bread, fish, or the most candy? Who are the most overweight, and who spends the most time in front of the PC?
The researchers asked more than 11,500 people in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland about their consumption of selected foods, physical activity habits and their weight. The same questionnaire was used in all five countries, enabling comparison of the findings across national borders.
Diet reflects level of education
Between 9 and 24% of adults in the Nordic countries and only 8% of children maintain a diet that the researchers estimate to be healthy in relation to the targets that the Nordic Council of Ministers has proposed in "The Nordic Plan of Action for Better Health". The study shows, that in Denmark and Norway, the diet is healthier than in the other countries, while the Swedes have the least healthy dietary habits. In all countries, the participants' diet and physical activity are far from the objectives set out in "The Nordic Plan of Action".
The study also shows that women tend to eat healthier than men, and that the level of education influences the diet. Participants with a low-level education eat a more unhealthy diet than participants with a higher education.
In the Nordic countries, we generally eat too few vegetables and too little fruit, and our diet is too sweet. The study participants eat sugar-rich foods more than four times a week. In Denmark, Sweden and Finland, the participants eat fish less than twice a week. Only the participants from Iceland and Norway eat on average enough fish.
"The findings confirm some of the knowledge we have on what people in the Nordic region eat. The study is unique because previously we were not able to compare people's diets and physical activity across national borders, and also because the study is easy and quick to implement. However, the study cannot replace the more in-depth national studies in this field, but it can be complementary", says Senior Adviser Sisse Fagt from the National Food Institute.
Finns and Danes eat the most rye bread
The results show that 40% of Danes do not use fat on their bread while the figure is only 8% in Finland where in turn 20% use spreadable vegetable fat on their bread. Icelanders do not eat much bread, while the Danes and the Finns eat the most rye bread. The Swedes eat more sausages than people in the other Nordic countries and Icelanders are top scorers in terms of candy intake. Iceland has a slightly higher proportion of overweight and obese than the other countries.
The study participants were also asked about their physical activity. Finland and Sweden have the most physically active people, while Norwegians spend the most time in front of their PCs and TVs. In none of the countries are children physically active the recommended 1 hour a day.
Repeat study to show trend
"The study serves as an important baseline study in the Nordic region. When the study is repeated in 2014, it will be possible to see how dietary habits and the level of physical activity are developing and thus whether the trend is moving in the right direction in all areas", says Senior Adviser Lone Banke Rasmussen from the National Food Institute.
The results can be used to inform decisions to launch preventive activities at both Nordic and national level.
Read more
Read the full report of the findings: Nordic monitoring on diet, physical activity and overweight. First collection of data in all Nordic Countries 2011 (pdf).
See also the report on the evaluation of the method: Nordic monitoring on diet, physical activity and overweight. Validation of indicators.
The project is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The National Food Institute is heading the monitoring in collaboration with researchers from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The Danish National Centre for Social Research is in charge of the practical implementation of the study in collaboration with the data collection agencies NorStat and Maskina.