Icelanders have never been heavier than they are today, reports the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. Over the last 30 years, the average Icelander has added an additional 8 kilograms to his or her weight.
Iceland’s Directorate of Health has announced that a nation wide campaign against obesity is needed.
In 1968, the average weight for an Icelandic woman was 65.1 kilograms, in 1998 it was 73.1 kg. In 1968, the average weight for Icelandic males was 79.4 kg, in 1998 that figure had increased to 87.9 kilograms.
Obesity increases risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular ailments are the main cause of death for Icelanders.
