Half of participants overweight by age 36
About half are overweight, and around 20% are classified as obese. mbl.is/Ómar Óskarsson
Just over half of the participants in the third data collection of Heilsuferðalagið (The Health Journey) rated their mental and physical health as good or very good at the age of 36.
According to a press release, about half of the participants were overweight, and roughly 20% were classified as obese.
These findings are based on the initial results of the third round of data collection in Heilsuferðalagið, a long-term health study conducted by the University of Iceland and the University of Akureyri, focusing on a cohort of Icelanders born in 1988. More detailed results will be presented at a conference today.
High blood pressure and lack of exercise
When asked how often they exercised per week at age 36, approximately 22% reported never exercising, while the same proportion exercised once or twice a week. The largest group, about 38%, exercised three to four times a week.
About 37% of participants said they often or very often experienced high levels of stress in daily life. Overall, 60% were found to have elevated or high blood pressure.
Exceptional participation rates
“The Heilsuferðalagið project — a long-term study of Icelanders born in 1988 — aims to track the development of mental, social, and physical health from adolescence (age 15 in 2003), through young adulthood (age 23 in 2011), and into adulthood (age 36 in 2024),” the statement explained.
The third round of data collection began in October 2024 and concluded in June 2025, with an exceptionally strong participation rate: a total of 486 individuals, 64% of whom were women, took part.
In total, around 1,000 Icelanders born in 1988 have participated in one or more of the three data collection phases. With approximately 4,700 people born in Iceland that year, about 20% of the entire age group has taken part.
Researchers note that this level of participation in a long-term study is remarkable, not only in Iceland but globally, and they expressed their gratitude to all participants for their valuable contribution to Heilsuferðalagið.
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