Chubby Finnish kids are not losing weight, with as many carrying excess fat as in previous years, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said on Friday.
The health authority said this development indicates that the proportion of overweight or obese children is settling at an alarmingly high level.
In 2020, a third of boys and a fifth of girls aged 2-16 were either overweight or obese. Fresh figures covering 2021 suggest similar levels, the health authority reported on Friday.
Päivi Mäki, a development manager at the institute, said the share of kids packing extra pounds needs to drop.
Mäki has previously emphasised the role high-calorie foods and drinks as well as sedentary lifestyles play in contributing to obesity in children and adults alike.
The THL has noted that there are significant regional differences between the proportions of overweight or obese children and youths.
Children with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 or more were defined as overweight or obese, while those with BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more were categorised as obese.