Key Points. In Australia, currently 63.4 per cent of adults and 24 per cent of children are considered overweight or obese. The World Obesity Federation projects 51 per cent of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035.
A 2005 WHO study found that just over 20% of Australian adults are obese, that number increased to about 29 to 30% being obese in 2017. In the 2005 National Health Survey, 53.6% of Australians reported being overweight with 18% falling into the "obese" category.
The 2017-18 National Health Survey found that more than two thirds (67 per cent) of Australians aged 18 and over were overweight or obese. This was up from 63 per cent three years ago and 56 per cent in 1995. Slightly more than a third of all Australians were overweight and 31 per cent were obese.
Overweight and obesity
Tasmania had the highest rate of adults who were overweight or obese (70.9%), compared with Australian Capital Territory (64.0%) who had the lowest.
Tasmania has been named the unhealthiest state in the country with the highest stress levels, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and smoking rates.
Tamworth was given the unflattering title of fattest town in Australia back in 2020, when the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 61.2 per cent of residents were considered obese, compared to 31.3 per cent nationally.
Findings include: Aussie men are the second most obese in OECD countries - Aussie men have the second highest rates of obesity (32%) among 23 OECD countries, behind the USA (38%). Aussie women fared better than men but are still obese at a higher rate than the OECD average.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the most obese countries are primarily located in the Pacific and the Middle East. The Pacific island nations of Nauru, Cook Islands, and Palau have the highest rates of obesity, with over 30% of their populations being classified as obese.
Silvana Pannain, MD: Yes, you can be overweight and metabolically healthy. At the same time, we know that obesity is a disease that affects the body in many different ways. Thirteen types of cancer and 200 other health conditions are related to obesity.
Australia is ranked fifth for obesity, with wider waistlines than countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland, but slimmer than Hungary, New Zealand, Mexico and the United States, which has an obesity rate of 38.2 per cent.
Many Australians consume more energy than they need through unhealthy diets that are high in sugar, saturated and/or trans fats and alcohol.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' National Health Survey from 2017–18 revealed that 67 per cent of Australian adults were overweight or obese (12.5 million people), an increase from 63.4 per cent since 2014-15. If the current trend continues, more than 18 million Australians will be overweight or obese by 2030.
The obesity risk in Vietnam could be low due to factors such as the local cuisine which are mostly organic with a low percentage of oil. The food is not much processed and mostly fresh, and the variety of ingredients used crates balanced meals.
The average Australian woman was 161.8 cm tall and weighed 71.1 kg. On average, Australians are growing taller and heavier over time. Between 1995 and 2011-12, the average height for men increased by 0.8 cm and for women by 0.4 cm, while the average weight for men increased by 3.9 kg and for women by 4.1 kg.
The ABS reported that two thirds of Aussies are overweight or obese that means 12.5 million people nationwide have a bulging waistline! That means over half of Australian's are considered overweight or obese! According to the Heart Foundation this is the break down via location: South Australia 65.8%
Many Australians are overweight or obese. This puts them at higher risk of developing chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Find out what we're doing to reduce and prevent overweight and obesity in Australia.
Japan's success in avoiding the obesity problem faced by most of the western world is down to three main factors: an appreciation of good food from cradle to grave, a lifestyle that encourages incidental exercise, and a large dollop of paternalism.
Obesity in China is a major health concern according to the WHO, with overall rates of obesity between 5% and 6% for the country, but greater than 20% in some cities where fast food is popular.
Only 3.6 percent of Japanese have a body mass index (BMI) over 30, which is the international standard for obesity, whereas 32.0 percent of Americans do.
The highest number of obese children lives in China (>28 million), followed by the United States of America (>13 million), India (>7.5 million), Brazil (>5.2 million) and Mexico (>5.1 million).
Congratulations Adelaide, we're officially the healthiest city in the nation! Adelaide, tying with Gold Coast, has been named the healthiest cities in Australia in a new study by Mandoe Media, with Melbourne, Perth and Sydney rounding out the top 5.
In 2016, the Australian Taxation Office listed Mungallala as having the lowest mean taxable income by postcode, making it the poorest town in Australia, which led the ABC to do a documentary on the town for their online "storyhunters" program.
Tamworth has been crowned the fattest town in Australia, with almost two-thirds of its adult residents classified as obese. The NSW town has an astonishing 61.2 per cent obesity rate, compared to a 31.3 per cent rate nationally.