I saw an article recently that said that the Danes eat more sugar than we do and yet are less obese, writes Pete Richards.
I thought this was odd at first.
Denmark is famous for its pastries (I'm a big fan of these!), yet the Danes have considerably lower levels of obesity than we do in Britain.
They consume around 57kg of sugar per person each year, over one kilogram per week, compared with about 44kg in the UK, yet roughly one in five Danes is obese compared with around one in three Britons.
So why are they less obese than us?
I think the answer is that focusing on just one thing is misleading.
We often try to find the one thing that will make us healthier.
Is sugar bad?
What about bread?
Is red meat unhealthy?
Should I go running?
Should I lift weights?
Is alcohol the problem?
The thing is, our health isn't determined by one food or one activity.
It's the result of the whole picture.
Despite the pastries, the Danish diet includes plenty of traditional foods such as rye bread, vegetables and fish, along with other foods that are high in fibre and protein.
They also eat more home-cooked food and considerably less ultra-processed food.
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The article points out that around 44 per cent of daily energy intake in Britain comes from ultra-processed foods and drinks, compared with 25 per cent in Denmark.
And it isn't just about food.
A typical Danish lifestyle also includes more everyday movement.
Cycling to work or school isn't necessarily considered exercise; it's simply how you get from A to B.
This is something I've talked about before.
You don't have to go to the gym for an hour every day to be healthy.
Walking to the shops, taking the stairs, carrying things, cycling and generally moving throughout the day all contribute.
This is the lesson I think we can learn from the Danes: don't look for one thing to remove from your diet or one exercise that will transform your health.
Take a wider view.
Could you eat a little more real food?
Cook a few more meals yourself?
Eat more vegetables and fibre?
Reduce some of the ultra-processed food?
Walk more?
Sit less?
Do some strength training?
Get enough sleep?
Each of these can make a difference, but put them all together, and you will see a much bigger effect.
And this is the good news; you don't need to completely change your life to become healthier.
You just need to look at the whole picture and make a few more of your everyday choices work in your favour.
So, if you are like me and enjoy a Danish pastry, you don't need to give them up.
Just make sure that pastry is part of a healthy bigger picture.
If you'd like some help looking at the bigger picture of your health and fitness, I'd love to help.
Visit coachpete.co.uk.
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