The number of overweight children in Finland has multiplied in recent decades—27 percent of boys and 17 percent of girls are overweight, according to a recently published report by the Institute for Health and Welfare THL.
"More than a quarter of boys aged 2 to 16 and nearly one-fifth of girls of the same age are at least overweight. The prevalence has doubled or tripled in recent decades," THL development manager Päivi Mäki.
Among several different factors behind this problem, the biggest by far is a drastic change in the food environment, according to Mäki. There has also been a decrease in the amount of daily exercise that kids get these days.
A wide range of sugary and fatty foods are easily available, portion sizes are increasing and it is often cheaper to buy junk food in large quantities.
"There are plenty of food and drinks with a lot of calories but little nutritional value," Mäki said.
Obesity is two to three times more common in boys than in girls, according to the report. However, the exact reason is unknown.
Kids more overweight in rural areas
The ratio of overweight kids is higher in rural areas than in cities, according to the THL report.
While there is no clear answer why, researchers are of the opinion that socioeconomic factors such as the education levels of parents — which may be lower in rural areas — could play a role.
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In Uusimaa, for example, children and youths tend to be less overweight than in the area of the Western Ostrobothnia Hospital District in southwestern Lapland.
THL's municipality-specific statistics on child and adolescent overweight and obesity can be found at the FinChildren register website.
Obesity can lead to physical and mental health issues
Studies show that being overweight and obese can significantly affect a child's physical and mental well-being.
Like their adult counterparts, obese children face greater risks of suffering conditions like arterial disease, high blood pressure, abnormalities in blood fats and glucose metabolism and also suffer from overall poorer health and low self-esteem, Mäki said.
“Unfortunately in our society, overweight or obese children and adults experience discrimination, prejudice or bullying."
The problems tend to follow children into adulthood. About 80 percent of obese young people are also obese as adults.
However, if an obese child is of normal weight as an adult, the risk of arterial disease is not greater than that of a person who has always been of normal weight.
"This is a positive thing from the perspective of preventing overweight and obesity in children and young people," Mäki said.
Families, early educators, child health clinics, municipalities and even social media influencers play an important role in encouraging children to form healthy habits early in their lives, according to Mäki.
He cites community planning, promoting daily exercise, and health-based taxation and restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods as examples of positive social measures to help fight the problem.