Share

Two-thirds of Australians now overweight

Two-thirds of Australia's adult population are overweight or obese, a key study has found, with rates continuing to climb despite a drop in smoking and drinking.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said people were continuing to pile on the kilos despite other findings indicating a switch to healthier habits.

The study found 63.4% of the population are now classified as overweight or obese - an increase of more than two percent from four years ago. "The proportion of overweight adult Australians has increased by more than two percentage points, meaning that nearly two-thirds of the population are now classified as overweight or obese," said ABS statistician Paul Jelfs. The figure compares to 56.3% in 1995 and 61.2% in 2007-08.

Jelfs said the 2011-12 Australian Health Survey of 33 500 people found that 70.3% of men and 56.2% of women were losing what he called the "battle of the bulge", with one-quarter of children also classed as overweight. The survey, described by ABS as the "largest check-up on the nation's health ever undertaken", calculated whether or not people were too heavy using the Body Mass Index system.

How the study was done

The formula for calculating a person's BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. The resulting number then tells researchers whether the individual is overweight for their height. Australia is ranked fifth among advanced nations in terms of obesity after the United States, Mexico, New Zealand and Chile, according to the OECD.

Despite the worrying trend for increasing obesity, Jelfs said the survey did throw up some heartening findings. The number of daily smokers fell 3% in the past four years, to 16.3%, or 2.8 million smokers, out of a population of nearly 23 million. The rate was 18.9% in the 2007-08 survey and 22.4% back in 2001.

Australia won a High Court battle with major cigarette firms this year to become the first country in the world to mandate plain packaging for tobacco products in a bid to curb smoking and related health costs.

It is also trying to reduce binge-drinking through a combination of shock advertising campaigns and taxation, with a government report due to be released in coming weeks on the potential introduction of a floor price on alcohol.

Jelfs said the number of adults consuming more than two standard drinks a day had dropped 1.4% points in four years, but was still a relatively high 19.5%. Australia's national health guidelines state that downing more than two standard drinks a day is dangerous to long-term health.

(Sapa, October 2012)

Read more:

Obesity: 8 scary facts  

How smoking affects your health

A healthy balance

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE