Obesity prevention among children in the Nordic countries

Finland

Health promotion

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has a general responsibility for guiding and overseeing health promotion in Finland. Health promotion is based on the Health Care Act and is a part of public health activity.

Legislation

Information about the Finnish legislation can be found on the pages of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Municipality act 365/1995 (pdf 144 KB) 

Health care act 1326/2010 (pdf 196 KB) 

Government Decree on maternity and child welfare clinics, school and student health care, and preventive oral health care 338/2011 (pdf 29 KB) 

Legislation on early childhood education and care

Early Childhood Education and Care Act (36/1973)

Decree on Children's Day Care (239/1973)

Basic Education Act (628/1998)

National programmes and strategies

National action programme on brestfeeding promotion 2018-2022. Hakulinen T, Otronen K, Kuronen M. Publications of the National Institute for Health and Welfare. 24/2017.

Government resolution on development guidelines for health-enhancing physical activity and nutrition. Brochures of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2008:10eng (pdf 311 KB) 

On the move – national strategy for physical activity promoting health and wellbeing 2020 pdf 1,4 Mb) Publications of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2013:14

Finland

Wellbeing from healthy nutrition and physical activity - National Obesity Prevention Programme 2012-2018

The National Obesity Programme 2012–2018 ”Wellbeing from healthy nutrition and physical activity” is co-ordinated by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and aims at achieving a downward trend in the obesity in order to improve health and welfare and to maintain the population’s functional and work ability. The programme targets should be attained primarily by means of nutrition and physical activity as well as by making use of information, communication and collaboration.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is funding governmental key projects on health promotion for 2 years (2017-2018), for example the Smart Family and the Finnish Schools -on the Move -projects.

Promotion of physical activity (Minstry of education and culture)
Information about national  recommendation and On the Move programs

Smart family (neuvokasperhe.fi)
Smart Family provides professionals tools for the lifestyle counselling of families with children. For families, Smart Family provides information and support on lifestyle choices.

Denmark

Strategy for food, meals and health, The Danish Government, published 2018 (pdf, 2,4 Mt)

Finland

Nutrition and food recommendations (ruokavirasto.fi)

Physical activity recommendations

Physical activity pie for adults
The UKK Institute's Physical Activity Pie has been updated 2009 to meet the guidelines for health-enhancing physical activity for adults (aged 18-64).

National guidelines include physical activity recommendations for early childhood and school-aged children and recommendations to reduce sedentary time among children and adolescents:

Joy, play and doing together – Recommendations for physical activity in early childhood. 2016. Ministry of Education and Culture 2016:21. (Finnish report, abstract in English.) (pdf 1,9 KB)

Recommendations for the physical activity of school-aged children. Ministry of Education and Young Finland Association. 2008. (Finnish report, abstract in English.) (pdf 1,3 Mb)

Reduce sedentary time – get healthier! National recommendations to reduce sedentary time. 2015. Brochures of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Norway

Nutrition recom:mendations (in Norwegian)

Guidelines for school meals. ​The Norwegian Directorate of Health.

Physical activity recommendations (in Norwegian)

Recommendations for physical activity by the health authorities. The Norwegian Directorate of Health.

Denmark

Nutrition recommendations (in English)

Factsheet - Official guide for healthier meals and The Meal Label (in English).Published by the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, Veterinary and Food Administration.

Nutrition recommendations (in Danish)

Official Danish Dietary Guidelines, published 2013. Published by the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, Veterinary and Food Administration.

Official guide for healthier meals in daycare, published 2018. Published by the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, Veterinary and Food Administration.

Official guide to positive welcoming meals in daycare, published 2018. Published by the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, Veterinary and Food Administration.

Official guide for healthier meals in schools, published 2017.Published by the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, Veterinary and Food Administration.

Official guide for healthier meals at educational institutions and workplaces, published 2017. Published by the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, Veterinary and Food Administration.

Tools and materials

Eat Good materials to support implementation of nutrition recommendations, counselling and healthy nutrition

Smart Family provides information and tools for professionals for the lifestyle counselling. For families, Smart Family gives information and support on lifestyle choices

Portal for schools. Information about the guidelines for school meals and examples of how school organize school meals

Physical activity in school. Information and examples

Activities for both kindergarten and schools

Finland

School Health Promotion Study
The School Health Promotion (SHP) study monitors the well-being, health and school work of Finnish children and adolescents.

Sotkanet indicator bank 
The Sotkanet Indicator Bank is a National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) information service that offers key population welfare and health data.

TEAviisari
TEAviisari shows the direction of health promotion capacity building in municipalities.

Avohilmo
Mäki P, Lehtinen-Jacks S, Vuorela N, Levälahti E, Koskela T, Saari A, Mölläri K, Mahkonen R, Salo J, Laatikainen T. Data on prevalence of overweight among Finnish children available in an increasing number of municipalities through the Avohilmo Register. Suomen Lääkärilehti 2018;73:2336–2341. (Article in Finnish, abstract in English).

Mäki P, Lehtinen-Jacks S, Vuorela N, Levälahti E, Koskela T, Saari A, Mölläri K, Mahkonen R, Salo J, Laatikainen T. Register of Primary Health Care Visits (Avohilmo) as data source for monitoring the prevalence of overweight among Finnish children. Suomen Lääkärilehti 2017;72:209–215.(Article in Finnish, abstract in English). 

On other websites

WHO: Data & Statistics

WHO Eurooppa: Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI)

OECD: Obesity Update

World Map of Obesity

Nordic Monitoring System

The Nordic Monitoring System 2011–2014.Status and development of diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol and overweight  (pdf 15 MB)
Matthiessen J et al. 2016. Nordic Council of Ministers.

Fact Sheets

Nordic region. The Nordic Monitoring System 2011-2014 (pdf 417 KB) 

Denmark. The Nordic Monitoring System 2011-2014 (pdf 454 KB)

Finland. The Nordic Monitoring System 2011-2014 (pdf 453 KB)

Iceland. The Nordic Monitoring System 2011-2014 (pdf 438 KB)

Norway. The Nordic Monitoring System 2011-2014 (pdf 462 KB)

Sweden. The Nordic Monitoring System 2011-2014 (pdf 454 KB)

Articles

Danish children born to parents with lower levels of education are morelikely to become overweight (pdf 105 KB) 
Matthiessen J et al. A. Acta Pædiatrica. 2014. 

Trends in overweight and obesity in Danish children and adolescents: 2000-2008 - exploring changes according to parental education (pdf 490 KB)
Supplementary file (pdf 13 KB) 
Matthiessen J et al. Scand J Public Health. 2014

Prevalence and trends in overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Denmark (pdf 376 KB) 
Matthiessen J et al. Scand J Public Health. 2008 

The Nordic Monitoring of Diet, Physical Activity, Smoking, Alcohol and Overweight: 2011-2014 (pdf 2017) 
Matthiessen J et al. EJNFS 2017