One child out of five is overweight in Finland
Boys' snacks often consist of sweets, cookies, and soft drinks
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Corpulence among children in Finland is on the increase. According to latest figures, 15 to 20 percent of Finnish children over ten years of age are overweight.
In international comparisons, obesity among the Finnish kids is still less alarming than in the United States, but it is becoming more common.
University of Tampere researcher of adolescence obesity, Licentiate of Medicine Susanna Kautiainen, says a Finnish study also reveals that the weight of the Finnish youth is on the up.
Of 12 to 18-year-old boys, 20 percent are fat. The corresponding figure for girls is 12. This means the number of overweight children has doubled or even trebled from the late 1970s.
A growth curve, which shows how heavy children are on average, is used to determine a child's excess kilos. In practice, a visual inspection is enough to spot stoutness.
Childhood obesity and even excess weight can cause medical problems. "Fat children can suffer, for example, from adult type diabetes", Kautiainen reveals.
There is no unambiguous scientific explanation for the increase in overweight kids. "Changes in the meal-time rhythm, increased snacking, and decreased physical activity may all have contributed to this", believes Kautiainen.
An inquiry into the eating habits of pupils revealed that the "snacking culture" is gaining ground even in Finland.
At least twice a week, forty percent of the upper level comprehensive school boys and a third of the upper secondary school boys had sweets, cookies, and soft drinks for a snack.
Eating between meals was slightly less common among girls. Quite a few of the upper secondary school girls brought snacks from home. Though the content of those snacks was not asked, it is likely that snacks prepared at home contain bread and fruit rather than sweets and soda-pop.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 29.9.2004 - TODAY |
 One child out of five is overweight in Finland |
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