In Finland, almost three quarters of men and two thirds of women are overweight, but people are not to blame, reports Helsingin sanomat newspaper top story on Tuesday.
Pertti Mustajokian internist specializing in obesity said lawmakers should help people steer healthy choices, for example, by adding a 20 percent tax increase to sugary products.
"Candy and potato chips are insanely cheap these days," he noted that food industry lobbyists have prevented politicians from looting junk food.
Mustajoki claimed that most people are unaware of the calorie bomb he consumes, which is why he wants to see warning labels on chocolate bars and soda. He also proposed expelling candies from checkouts to prevent last-minute impulse purchases and banning junk food ads targeted at children.
"Today, people cannot believe that smoking was allowed in restaurants and workplaces. Society should protect people in the same way with regard to extra calories," he said.
New guidelines for public events
Regional Government Agencies (AVI) plan to publish new guidelines for public meetings in October on Tuesday, daily report in Swedish Hufvudstadsbladet.
To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, AVI offices that issue public events have issued monthly guidelines for public meetings.
Last month, AVI limited events to 50 people and tightened the conditions under which they could be held.
Unemployment on the rise
Mauri Kotamäki, Chief Economist of the Chamber of Commerce, tweeted on Tuesday about slippage in the country’s employment, referring to Statistics Finland’s latest labor force surveys, which show 65,000 fewer jobs than a year ago, business daily Kauppalehti.
Despite the downward trend, however, there was a bright spot. Commenting on the 7.5% unemployment rate, Pasi KuoppamäkiDanske Bank’s chief economist noted that the employment rate for people over 65 had actually risen.
These latest figures for the national number crusher employ just under 72 per cent, three percentage points below the government’s own 75 per cent target.