People in Finland are gaining weight, according to new data from the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
According to THL's Healthy Finland Survey, the region with the largest proportion of people who are overweight is South Ostrobothnia, where 30 percent of the adult population was considered obese at the end of last year.
Compared to 2020, that reflected a three percentage point increase.
Trailing South Ostrobothia in terms of overweight residents, were the regions of Satakunta, Kanta-Häme and Central Uusimaa.
Rich diet
According to THL, the main factors contributing to weight gain are clear — diet and exercise.
One reason behind South Ostrobothnia's relatively high obesity rates is the region's food culture, according to Health Sciences Principal Lecturer, Mari Salminen-Tuomaala, from the Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences.
"Southern Ostrobothnian food is rich and filling, lots of potatoes and sauces, sausages and pork," she said, adding that the consumption of unhealthy saturated fats is common in the region.
More cars
Another reason for South Ostrobothnia being home to relatively heavier people is that there are more passenger cars, per capita, in the region — with 612 cars per 1,000 residents.
In Uusimaa, the corresponding figure was 418 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, according to the Finnish Information Centre of Automobile Sector.
Furthermore, people in South Ostrobothnia obtain driving licences earlier than others. For example, more than 80 percent of 18-year-olds in the region have driving licences, compared to 25 percent of their counterparts in Helsinki.
More time behind the wheel means less exercise, according to THL public health docent, Päivikki Koponen.
She said that the number of steps taken — or kilometres cycled — is far more beneficial for a person's health than exercising a single time per week.
People in the region often have long commutes to work, according to the head of the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia, Miika Laurila.
As the area is known for its agricultural sector, many people work on farms, which can be physically demanding, so not everyone has extra energy to exercise separately. However, doing so might be worthwhile.
Studies have shown that heavy, work-related physical activity is not beneficial, and could even be detrimental to health.
Less education, income
The proportion of people in South Ostrobothnia holding higher education degrees (27%) is among the lowest compared to other regions — while the national average is more than 34 percent.
The average annual income (32,000 euros) in South Ostrobothnia is lower than the national average of 37,500.
According to THL's lead researcher Maria Vaalavuo, people with less education and income get sick more often than their higher educated and salaried counterparts.
She said lifestyle was one reason behind the health differences.
"People in lower socioeconomic groups tend to eat fewer fruits and vegetables, eat more red and processed meat, exercise less, and smoke more," Vaalavuo said.
Ageing population
People tend to gain weight as they age, and South Ostrobothnian residents are older than the national average.
Although there are slightly more than average people under the age of 15 in the region, the number of working age individuals is the fourth-lowest in the country.
Around 26 percent of the region's population is over the age 65, while the average proportion for the rest of Finland in that regard is less than 23 percent.
Disability, health factors
South Ostrobothnia also has a higher-than-average population of working-age people on disability pensions, compared to the rest of the country. The region's most common ailments include dementia, musculoskeletal diseases and mental health issues.
The region also uses the most reimbursed medications in the country, like drugs for hypertension, asthma, diabetes and coronary artery disease.
According to Salminen-Tuomaala, recent surveys suggest that the region has seen an increase in people with depression, which could be related to poor dietary and exercise habits and resulting weight control issues.
