Living the Swede life
Expat says northern neighbours could teach us how to end our obesity crisis
Scotland’s record in tackling the national weight crisis has hardly been the envy of the world.
Two-thirds of adults and more than a quarter of children are overweight or obese as doctors, politicians and academics carry out a seemingly never-ending debate on the problem.
Chris Oliver, professor of physical activity at Edinburgh University last week warned the crisis may be at tipping point.
In contrast, Sweden ranks just two from the bottom of a global obesity league table.
And Scots expat Alan Paterson, 37, believes Scotland can learn from his new homeland. Alan – dad to Matilda, six, and two-year-old Theo – lives in Stockholm.
However, life changed when we moved to Sweden. Here, all children sit down to a hot meal in school, there are no packed lunches and fast food rarely features in a weekly menu.
It is normal for children in Sweden only to have sweets on a Saturday and fizzy drinks are far more difficult to come by.
Nursery, or förskola, is a healthy environment from so many perspectives – healthy food, an emphasis on outdoor play every day regardless of we at her , regular trips to the forest.
Snacks and lunches are fruit or yoghurt, bulg ur and veg , healthy bread, and so on. My partner Theres and I pay £150 a month for our two children though this figure varies depending on the hours and area where children attend nursery.
At lunch, the emphasis is on trying dif ferent things. My daughter gets a salad buffet every day and they are encouraged to pick three things from it.
Every child eats school meals. There are no packed lunches and no stigma attached to a free meal when everyone has them.
It’s quite clear Scotland has a dreadful obesity record. Even for adults, lifestyles are often in stark contrast. There are far fewer obese adults in Sweden, not to mention children. I’m always a little shocked when I go back home. There are deep cultural differences. Food habits are deeply ingrained as are alcohol habits. Alcohol i s only so ld here in government- controlled shops with restricted hours, for example, only until 3pm on a Saturday, and there are no supermarket-style cheap deals. Pub culture is a lot less part of society. I think Scotland could learn a lot, especially at nursery and school level. This is when it is critical. Every society can change.
Finland had similar problems but introduced ways of tackling it at a young age and now they are at the other end of the spectrum.
It’s easy to say we are Scottish, we eat chippies and drink Irn-Bru. But Swedes have food vices, too. Cakes and sweet things are a big part of daily culture but it’s fine when it’s part of a balanced diet.
We pay more tax here but I think it’s spent on things that are meaningful and make life better for the majority.
There’s no doubt that we have it better here. I long for Scotland to adopt some of the policies here, especially regarding paternal rights and health and wellbeing.
I receive a £ 300- a- year subsidy for a gym or sports club membership, which is typical of many workplaces.
My office also provides free tennis and badminton every week as well as in- house massage. Many workplaces have a paid hour a week to do any physical activity of choice.
There are cycle- to- work schemes as well and good shower facilities in the majority of workplaces to make it easier.
I couldn’t have known the impact the move would have on the family after leaving for Stockholm more than five years ago.
There are far fewer obese adults in Sweden, not to mention children