Your Way or Norway?

Denmark can boast that they are the happiest country, but Norway is perhaps the leanest according to a World Health Organization report from 2007. Norwegians are slimmer, more active and have less incidence of diabetes (3.6 percent, with the United States at 7.8 percent) than people in other developed countries. And unlike the cityscapes in America, Norway's streets are built for pedestrians, not cars — and more walking means better health.

Another startling stat: Americans spend 174 times the amount on fast food than Norwegians do! Holy drive-thru Batman, that's a lot of tacos.

The country is facing worries, however, as Westernization (fast food) creeps in, but they're also doing something about it — starting with the country's youth, whose habits are easier to change into healthier adult habits. Some of Norway's strides include requiring nutrition classes at two different grade levels, extending mandatory exercise programs, and providing students with water rather than soda at school.

Just another thing we might learn from our Nordic friends ...

Photo courtesy of Christa Richert@sxc.hu