Obesity rate among Australian adults rises to 32.8 pc: Govt report
Canberra, June 24
The proportion of Australian adults who are obese rose to almost one third in 2022-24, according to a government report released on Wednesday.
The report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) said that 32.8 per cent of Australians aged 18 and over were obese in 2022-24, up from 31.3 per cent in 2017-18 and 27.9 per cent in 2014-15.
Over two thirds of Australian adults, 67.1 per cent, were either obese or overweight in 2022-24 and 13.0 per cent of the adult population was classified as severely obese compared to 11.7 per cent in 2017-18, the report said.
Men were more likely than women to be obese or overweight in 2022-24, but women were more likely to be severely obese, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Overweight and obesity is a significant health challenge facing Australia, with rates increasing over time and affecting people across all age groups," AIHW spokesperson Amy Young said in a media release.
"In recent years, overweight and obesity has also become the leading risk factor contributing to ill health and death in Australia, overtaking tobacco use," Young noted.
Among children aged 5-17, 28.1 per cent were overweight or obese in 2022-24, up from 24.9 per cent in 2017-18.
The AIHW said that 800 million Australian dollars ($553.4 million) was spent nationwide on treating obesity in 2023-24 and a further 10 billion AUD (6.9 billion USD) was spent on health conditions attributed to being overweight or obese.
Obesity is a complex, chronic disease characterised by an excessive accumulation of body fat that increases the risk of severe health conditions. It is officially defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an imbalance of calories consumed versus calories expended, further influenced by genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an Indian living in Melbourne, I see this every day. The portion sizes here are massive, and everything has hidden sugar. The worst part is how expensive healthy food is. A salad costs more than a burger. The government spending $553 million on treatment but not enough on prevention is a classic case of putting out fires instead of fireproofing.
Interesting how men are more overweight but women are more severely obese. Probably the stress, hormonal issues, and societal pressure catching up. But this is a wake-up call for all of us – including India where our obesity is rising fast in metros. We need more walkable cities, not just more gyms.
The article says "overweight and obesity overtaking tobacco as leading risk factor" – wow. That's a huge shift. But you know what? I think the WHO's simple "calories in vs out" explanation is too simplistic. It's about ultra-processed food, food deserts, and stress. We in India still have some advantage with home-cooked meals, but our packaged food industry is catching up fast. Scary times.
The 28.1% children figure is heartbreaking. We're seeing similar trends in India's urban schools – more screen time, less outdoor play, and junk food marketing targeting kids. Australia has the resources to fix this, but do they have the will? 🫤
Honestly, let's not be smug. Yes, Australia has high obesity, but look at their life expectancy – still higher than India's. But this report does show that even developed countries struggle
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