Sweden – a model of healthy lifestyle – or turning to fat like everywhere else?

Prevalence data on overweight and obesity in Europe at first indicate that there might be no need for concern in Sweden, as it is located in the lowest tertile for both men and women and has remained so for the last decades. However, looking at individual data, and development over time, the situation is quite alarming. Sweden is a small country with about 9 million inhabitants, and prevalence data for obesity around 10% indicate that about 1 million of the adult population is at risk for obesity and its well known comorbidities. The prevalence of obesity has doubled during the last two decades. In military conscripts, the prevalence of obesity has almost quadrupled to 3.2% from 1971 to 1995, whereas the overweight fraction more than doubled to 16.3%.