The Finnish National Nutrition Surveillance System (FNNSS) produces Nutrition Reports biannually. These reports are the most important means for the FNNSS to achieve its objectives, which are to collect, interpret, evaluate, and distribute data on nutrition in Finland, and to assess the need for measures to promote nutrition and health policies in Finland. In addition to policy makers and officials, the audience of the FNNSS includes health care professionals, researchers, teachers, students, journalists, and those working in the food industry, trade, non-governmental organizations, and large-scale catering.

The typical Finnish diet has changed during the past decades: it now includes more fresh vegetables, cheese, poultry, and non-alcoholic beverages, but less milk than before. When making food purchases, Finns nowadays prefer processed food products more strongly than they did earlier. For example, although the total consumption of potatoes has not changed, the consumption of frozen potatoes, chips, and other processed products made from potatoes has increased in the 1990s.

Dietary guidelines tend to emphasize the consumption of foods of plant origin. The basis of the diet should consist of cereals and potatoes. However, no clear increase in the consumption of cereals and potatoes has occurred in the Finnish diet in the 1990s. According to dietary guidelines, a lot of vegetables, fruits, and berries should be eaten daily as well. The consumption of these foods has increased remarkably. Food choices vary across age groups, however, such that healthy choices are less frequent among adolescents and young adults compared with older people. For example, adolescents and young adults eat rye bread, potatoes, fresh vegetables, and fruits less frequently than older subjects do.

Trends towards obesity are of great concern. Relative weight and the prevalence of obesity have increased during the past decades - especially in men. The most prominent increase has occurred in men around their sixties and in young adults of both genders. Obesity becomes more prevalent with age: every third man and woman aged 55 years or older is obese. Obesity is a problem among children and adolescents as well.

The Finnish population is getting older. According to one estimate, 25% of Finns will be at least 65 years of age in 2030. The needs of these older people vary according to their health, place of residence, lifestyle, and economical situation. Accumulation of diseases, and consequently disability, is a problem at advanced age. Elevated blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as osteoporosis in women, are fairly common among older people, as is the use of medication.

The nutritional situation among elderly Finns living at home seems to be similar to that of the working age population. Their intake of carbohydrates is lower than recommended, whereas that of saturated fats is too high. The intake of vitamins meets the dietary recommendation, with the exception of folates. Salt intake is at more than twice the recommended level. Food consumption among the elderly has changed in a similar manner compared with younger Finns. Butter and vegetable oil are now used equally for cooking, and only a minority of the elderly favors butter on bread. The consumption of vegetables has increased. However, older people living alone eat vegetables more seldom than others.  

National Public Health Institute KTL
Mannerheimintie 166
FI-00300 Helsinki
Finland
Ms. Merja Paturi

01/01/2006

research

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Quality of life

Health