Along with a healthy diet, Scandinavians also emphasize portion control. They have smaller meals and eat often, instead of the regular big meals. Research has found that smaller meals are more beneficial for health, as they lower cholesterol levels and maintain blood sugar levels.
The Nordic Diet: Fish, Veggies, Grains, Fermented Foods and Wine. “The Nordic diet is rooted in tradition back to the Vikings and is comprised of natural fresh foods consumed by residents of Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, and Finland,” explains Dr. Luiza Petre, a cardiologist and nutrition and weight loss expert.
Scandinavians have long had one of the lowest obesity rates in Europe.
As well as incorporating the right foods, the Scandinavian style of eating is also important. They eat little and often, grazing on small portions of food throughout the day.
The Scandi diet is big on reducing starchy carbs and replacing those calories with heaping servings of healthy proteins, such as locally-sourced, cold-water fish, and organic vegetables. Just as importantly, Scandinavians believe it's not just what you eat that counts, it's how you prepare it that matters too.
Approximately 1 in 4 middle-aged men and 1 in 5 women have obesity with a BMI of 30 kg / m2 or higher in Norway. Among children, the proportion with overweight and obesity appears to have stabilised.
So, what's the average height in Norway like? The average Norwegian adult male is 172.65 cm or 5 feet 7.97 inches tall. The average Norwegian adult woman is 165.56 or 5 feet 5.18 inches tall. This makes Norwegians the 15th tallest country in the world.
Since most Norwegians — 55 percent — have blue eyes, it is possible that the results would differ in other populations, the researchers acknowledged. “A cultural explanation is not impossible,” Dr. Laeng said, “but it requires a lot of assumptions.”
Many different dairy products are consumed in large quantities in Scandinavia. These includes not only milk, but also buttermilk, sour cream, and many different types of cheese. Each country or region of Scandinavia produces its own unique types of cheese. In many areas cheese is eaten at nearly every meal.
Average height of Danes: 5 feet 8.61 inches. Average height of Danish male: 5 feet 11.4 inches. Average height of Danish female: 5 feet 5.83 inches.
Scandinavian skin and hair products will often include glacier water, cloudberries or omega oils. These three ingredients are highly valued for their beneficial properties. Glacier water is believed to be the cleanest water in the world.
"The Nordid race is light-eyed, mostly rather light-haired, low-skulled and long-skulled (dolichocephalic), tall and slender, with more or less narrow face and narrow nose, and low frequency of blood type gene q. The Nordid race has several subraces.
Typical Scandinavian looks come from a background in Viking history, as Viking tribes originally populated much of the region. Though it's been many centuries since the Viking age, many modern-day humans will still have Viking DNA. Just remember, this isn't exclusive to the Scandinavians, but it is quite common.
The Nordic diet encourages you to eat a lot of whole foods, particularly sourced locally and in season, including: Whole grains, particularly rye, barley and oats. Fruits, especially berries. Vegetables, especially root vegetables like beets, turnips and carrots.
Norway has a great life expectancy (82 years on average), thanks to the active Norwegian lifestyle, the diet that's full of Omega−3 fatty acids (all that salmon is definitely good for you) and of course, a robust healthcare system that's funded by the public.
In Norway, an estimated 75% of the population has blond hair, and between 60% to 80% of the population has blue eyes. Although Norway is predominantly blond today, many native Norwegians, such as the infamous 9th-century figure Halvdan Svarte, who fathered Norway's first king, had dark hair.
Scandinavian eyes are characterized by their deep-set, almond shape and slightly upturned outer corners. This eye shape is thought to have developed as an adaptation to the harsh, cold climate of the Nordic region.
In Norway, the average height is 172.65cm (5 feet 7.97 inches) tall. The average height of Norwegian men is 179.74cm (just over five feet ten inches) tall, while Norwegian women are, on average, 165.56cm (just over five feet five inches) tall.
The Norwegian population is typical of the Northern European population with Haplogroup I1 being the most common Y-haplogroup, at about 37,3%. Norwegians also show the characteristic R1a genes of the paternal ancestorship at 17.9% to 30.8%. Such large frequencies of R1a have been found only in East Europe and India.
Over the last ten years, the average age of the population in Norway increased. In 2012, the average age was 39.2, whereas it had reached 41 at the beginning of 2022. In 2021, there were roughly 5.4 million inhabitants in the Scandinavian country.
The most obese country by percentage of obese adults is Nauru, with 61% of adults falling in the obese category. Cook Islands fllows with 55.9%, and Palau just under that at 55.3%. Three other countries have adult populations that are over 50% obese: the Marshall Islands (52.9%), Tuvalu (51.6%), and Niue (50%).
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the most obese countries are primarily located in the Pacific and the Middle East. The Pacific island nations of Nauru, Cook Islands, and Palau have the highest rates of obesity, with over 30% of their populations being classified as obese.
Global Obesity Levels
Vietnam is the least obese country with 2.1% of the population classified as obese. Among OECD countries, the United States is the most obese (36.2%).