title: Obesity Prevention in the Nordic Countries.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that mean BMI and prevalences of overweight/obesity and obesity have increased over the last decades in the Nordic countries, despite highly regulated societies with a focus on obesity prevention. We review recent overweight/obesity and obesity prevention initiatives within four of the five Nordic countries: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. Moreover, we analyze the current situation based on monitoring data on BMI collected in 2011 and 2014, and obtain overall estimates of overweight/obesity and obesity prevalences for the Nordic Region. Data analysis shows that obesity in adults has increased from 2011 to 2014, while no significant changes were found for children. No significant increases were found for mean BMI and overweight/obesity prevalence. Obesity prevention initiatives among the Nordic countries are highly similar although minor differences are present, which is rooted in transnational Nordic cooperation and comparable societal structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Richard Petersens Plads, Building 324, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. anst@dtu.dk.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stockmarr
authors.affiliation: Danish Health Authority, Islands Brygge 67, DK-2300, København S, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hejgaard
authors.affiliation: National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Mørkhøj Bygade 19 Building C, DK-2860, Søborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jeppe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matthiessen
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D011634:Public Health; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: BMI; Nordic countries; Nordic model; Obesity; Overweight; Prevention