In 1977, less than 6 percent of Finnish youth between the ages of 12 and 18 were overweight. Over the past 30 years, that number has ballooned to 19 percent.
"The development is similar in other western countries," says Susanna Kautiainen, a researcher at the University of Tampere who will defend her doctoral study on Friday.
According to Kautiainen, it's not only the number of children who are overweight that's troubling. Numbers on the scale have also gotten bigger, with overweight children heavier than ever before.
Weight gain in girls was linked in particular to time spent watching television or in front of the computer. However Kautiainen says it's difficult to determine what came first: more TV or heavier kids.
"Do youth who watch a lot of television become overweight or do overweight children watch a lot of television? We weren't able to answer that based on this research. And it's also possible that the relationship goes both ways," she says.
Kautiainen says that ultimately adults are responsible for making sure children maintain a healthy weight. She says that parents should forgo dieting for a healthy lifestyle including smart eating, exercising and sleep schedules for the whole family.
Over 90,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 18 over a thirty year period were included in the study.
