The top four public health concerns in Finland are cardiovascular disease, cancer, musculoskeletal disease and mental health problems. New and emerging problems include allergies, chronic lung disease, asthma, and diabetes. Nutrition plays a major role in the aetiology of coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, and cancer, and apparently also in the development of diabetes and osteoporosis. Through obesity, it may also contribute to the development of musculoskeletal disease. Furthermore, food elimination is an important factor in the care of food allergies.
Food habits contribute to the prevalence of dental caries.
Mortality from circulatory diseases has decreased remarkably during the last three decades , but cardiovascular disease still remains the most common cause of death accounting for almost half of all deaths in Finland, as well as being a major cause of working days. Diabetes and osteoporosis are increasing It is estimated that there are some 150,000 people with diabetes in Finland, of whom 23,000 have Type I diabetes. Type I diabetes, usually starting in childhood or adolescence, has become increasingly widespread in Finland since the 1950's, and the prevalence figures are now the highest in the world. Since the early 1970's the number of hip fractures has increased dramatically. In 1997 more than 7,000 persons entered a hospital because of a hip fracture.