Research Report 25th Anniversary Symposium of AGEV Dietary changes in Finland—success stories and future challenges

The paper describes dietary changes and related nutrition policies and interventions in Finland since the 1960s. Dietary changes are interpreted from the lifestyle perspective, in which food consumption patterns are assumed to be formed by the interplay of individual choices and structural chances, such as socioeconomic and cultural conditions. Finland can demonstrate a success story when it comes to decreased use of dairy fats and increased use of vegetables and fruit. However, the prevalence of overweight has increased. Nutrition policies and interventions together with sociocultural factors have supported the shift towards healthy nutrition. The same factors have promoted overweight, as well. q 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd.