Obesity in Sweden
Obesity in Sweden has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent years. Sweden is the 90th fattest country in the world.[1] In 2009, the number of people who are considered overweight or obese had not increased for the first time in 70 years.[2] Claude Marcus, a leading Swedish nutrition expert from the Karolinska Institutet, stated that one solution is to introduce a fat tax.[3] Folksam refused to insure a 5-year-old girl from Orust.[4] The insurance company refused her insurance based on "serious overweight/obesity".[4] A report showed that children whose parents were better educated had a lower chance of becoming overweight.[5]
Cause
Lack of exercise along with sugar-sweetened foods and drinks have caused one out of six five-year-olds in Sweden to be overweight or obese.[5] The breakdown is 12.9% of children are considered overweight and 4.3% are considered obese.[5]
Effects
Several studies in Sweden shown that obese men tend to have a lower sperm count, fewer rapidly mobile sperm and fewer progressively motile sperm compared to normal-weight men.[6]
Programs
School nurses in Uppsala, Uppsala County, will be prescribing exercise to teenage children.[7] The prescribed exercise can be anything from participating in a sport to walking.[7] Spaces will be available for the participants.[7]
Forbes ranking 2007
Source: Forbes.com[1]
| Ranking | Country | Percentage Overweight |
|---|---|---|
| 85 | Panama | 51.4 |
| 86 | Tunisia | 51.0 |
| 87 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 50.6 |
| 88 | Brazil | 50.5 |
| 89 | Belize | 49.8 |
| 90 | Sweden | 49.7 |
| 91 | Norway | 49.1 |
| 92 | Russia | 49.1 |
| 93 | El Salvador | 48.7 |
| 94 | Lesotho | 48.5 |
| 95 | Suriname | 47.8 |
References
- ^ a b "World's Fattest Countries". Forbes. 8 February 2007. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ "Sweden's 'obesity epidemic' shows signs of slowing: study". The Local. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ Linde, Joel (30 September 2011). "Sweden needs a fat tax to tackle obesity: expert". The Local. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Uproar over 'obese' girl's insurance snub". The Local. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ a b c "One in six Swedish children obese: study". The Local. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ "Obesity linked to lower sperm count in young men". Reuters. 11 August 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
- ^ a b c "Sweden to prescribe exercise to battle youth obesity". The Local. 21 January 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2010.