It looks like Norway is on the right track when it comes to preventing people from dying early from various lifestyle diseases, according to the new figures from FHI. So far, 17 per cent fewer have died from a non-communicable disease compared to 2015. The aim is that by 2030 the proportion will have been reduced by 33 per cent. At the same time, things are not going in the right direction when it comes to people with obesity and diabetes. Here, the figures for FHI show that the proportion is increasing, although the proportion with obesity may appear to be leveling off somewhat. When it comes to physical activity, there are still only 30 per cent of the adult population who reach the recommended daily targets. The same applies to the children, with one exception. – What I see is that 9-year-old boys are slightly less physically active, says senior researcher at FHI, Ulf Ekelund. He says they are a little worried that more people are not more active. Often losing heart Bettina Sølvi Andersen (52) was diagnosed with type two diabetes in 2008. – I have been morbidly obese for all the years I can remember, she says. She says she has tried various ways to lose weight her whole life. All without luck. – For me, it used to start well, but then I lost a bit of courage. She trained alone and had two young children to take care of. There were often easy solutions for dinner on a hectic weekday. It was difficult to go down, and often she just went back up. Bettina Sølvi Andersen is county manager of the Diabetes Association in Agder, and manager of the Diabetes Association in Kristiansand. After the obesity operation, she lost 40 percent of her body weight. Photo: Private – I think there are many who experience the same, she says. Even with the fact that the doctor advised her to take a course that would prepare her for obesity surgery. She had developed some complications due to her diabetes, and had problems with her liver. – I don’t have grandchildren yet, but it was probably part of the idea that at some point it would have been nice to experience it. She carried out the operation in 2021. Since then she has lost 40 percent of her body weight. She is still struggling a bit with low blood sugar, but in general life has become much easier both physically and mentally. – The quality of life is completely different. She advises others to find a community, both with people in the same situation and others who can provide information. A little help with guilt Leader of the National Association for the Obese, Mari-Mette Graff, believes obesity, obesity and diabetes are a social problem that is not just an individual responsibility. – That does not mean that we should start pointing with such a health-moralistic index finger. I have done that for so many years now without it having led to an improvement, says Graff. She believes that healthy food should be made cheaper, so that even families with fewer resources can make good health choices. – It is easy to feel guilty if you have a lifestyle disease, because you then think that you have done something wrong and that you are not good enough as a person. Leader of the National Association for the Obese, Mari-Mette Graff. Photo: Maria Langaard It is not necessarily easy to lose weight, she says. Graff therefore advises people with obesity to ask for help and support from a network. – Doing something alone is very demanding. She also believes that we need to change the way we talk to children about weight and physical activity. – It is the fear of becoming fat that is the argument for stimulating physical activity and good dietary choices, instead of the benefit that lies in being able to move freely and freely and do the things you want to do. Demanding General Secretary of the Diabetes Association, Anne-Grete Skjellanger, is not surprised by the speech from FHI. – We see that type two diabetes has doubled in the last 20 years. The statement from FHI shows that things are still going in that direction. – That’s what I’m worried about, she says. Losing weight is more demanding than many people think, says Skjellanger. They therefore want changes at a societal level. – We must create a society where it is easy to be active and difficult to be inactive, says Skjellanger. The association wants, among other things, to reintroduce the sugar tax, make provision for cycling and walking, and to have a public health coordinator in all municipalities. Skjellanger believes that it is particularly important to reduce differences in society, as people with less income and lower education often have poorer health. Generally speaking, the association believes that people must be given more knowledge about living a healthy lifestyle.
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The number of people with obesity and diabetes continues to rise – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
