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Long-Term Obesity Trends in Northern Sweden: Cross-Sectional Data From the MONICA Study (1986-2022)
Mari Modig1, Albin Dahlin Almevall2, Maria Brännholm Syrjälä3
1Department of Health, Education and Technology, Sunderby Research Unit - Norrbotten Luleå University of Technology Luleå Sweden.
Obesity Science & Practice
|July 14, 2026
Summary
Obesity rates have significantly increased in Northern Sweden, doubling since 1986 and impacting both men and women. This trend highlights the urgent need for public health interventions to address rising obesity and its associated health risks.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Elevated Body Mass Index (BMI) and central adiposity are significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and various cancers.
- Obesity prevalence has increased globally in recent decades, with Northern Sweden showing rates above the national average.
- Previous updates on anthropometric trends in the Northern Sweden MONICA study ceased in 2004.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze and report on the trends of overweight and obesity in the adult population of Northern Sweden.
- To provide updated data on anthropometric measurements from 1986 to 2022 within the Northern Sweden MONICA study.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from eight population-based surveys conducted between 1986 and 2022.
- Included 12,950 adult participants (aged 25-74 years) with a response rate of 68.2%.
- Employed standardized protocols for the assessment of anthropometric measurements.
Main Results:
- Obesity prevalence increased by 15.7 percentage points in men and 12.1 percentage points in women over the study period.
- By 2022, obesity prevalence had doubled since 1986, reaching 26.6% in men and 26.3% in women.
- Abdominal obesity, defined by waist circumference, also showed significant increases.
Conclusions:
- General and abdominal obesity have markedly increased in Northern Sweden over the last four decades.
- These escalating obesity trends pose serious long-term risks to population health and healthcare sustainability.
- Urgent, coordinated, and multi-level public health interventions are necessary to mitigate these risks.
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