Record High meat consumption in the Norwegian diet

Norwegians eat more and more meat at the expense of fish. ILLUSTRASJONSFOTO: CORBIS ILLUSTRASJONSFOTO: Corbis

Meat consumption in Norway has never been higher than now. Last year each of us ate 77 kg of meat.

Meat consumption has increased by 14 kg per person in the past ten years. In addition, each of us ate 17 kilograms of cheese last year. Health authorities are concerned.

“The fact that we eat more meat and cheese, does that Norwegians are eating more saturated fat and that the beneficial changes in your diet fatty acid composition has stopped. We also eat too little fish,” said Health Directorate.

The figures are available in the Directorate’s report “Developments in the Norwegian diet 2009. There are also shows that sugar consumption is too high. On average, each of us in the 33 kilograms of sugar a year. Sugar consumption constitutes 13 percent of the energy content of the diet. The recommended level is at maximum 10 percent.

“Nutritional deficiencies in Norwegians’ diet, combined with our too little exercise, contributing in part to the development of cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and type 2 diabetes. If the government’s dietary recommendations are followed, the incidence of these diseases are reduced,” said division director Knut-Inge Klepp in the Health Directorate.

Directorate encourages increased consumption of fish and reduced intake of meat, salt and sugar, and why we eat more fruits and vegetables, although the intake of fruits and vegetables has increased in recent years.

Source: Aftenposten.no