Obesity is also more common in older age groups – 18% of men and 14% of women aged 18–24 year are living with obesity, compared with 42% of men and 39% of women aged 65–74 (Figure 2).
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. The economic impact of the increased rate of obesity is projected to be $6.38 trillion.
Obesity is usually defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. BMI between 25 and 30 is classified as 'overweight'. The survey, published in December 2022, found that men are more likely than women to be overweight or obese (68.6% of men, 59.0% of women).
Previous studies have found that people with lower socioeconomic resources, both as children and adults, are more likely to have a higher BMI and increased risk of obesity in adulthood.
Asians/Pacific Islanders had by far the lowest obesity rates.
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.
The biggest increases in excess weight gain are from childhood to early adulthood. Many Australians consume more energy than they need through unhealthy diets that are high in sugar, saturated and/or trans fats and alcohol.
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 intergenerational cultural, socio-economic and political impact of Australia's colonisation have led to poor nutrition and health including the forced removal of Aboriginal people from traditional lands and a resultant inability to access traditional food sources as Aboriginal people became more urbanised, were ...
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.
For adults, the BMI ranges and classifications are: BMI under 18.5: underweight. BMI between 18.5 and 24.9: healthy weight range. BMI between 25.0 and 29.9: overweight.
Diet and lifestyle factors contribute to development of obesity and overweight. Some of the most common ones are: eating large amounts of processed or fast food – this is food that's high in fat and sugar. drinking too much alcohol – alcohol contains a lot of calories.
What causes obesity and overweight? The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. Globally, there has been: an increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars; and.
One gene or many? Rarely, obesity occurs in families according to a clear inheritance pattern caused by changes in a single gene. The most commonly implicated gene is MC4R, which encodes the melanocortin 4 receptor.
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.
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.
These include diet, lack of exercise, environmental factors, and genetics.
Tasmania has been named the unhealthiest state in the country with the highest stress levels, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and smoking rates.
Media Release - 16 November 2020
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.
The District of Columbia is the least obese state in the U.S., with an obesity rate of 24.7%. Hawaii is the second least obese state with an obesity rate of 25%, followed by Colorado with a rate of 25.1%.
About Chile. Chile, the longest and thinnest country in the world, stretches between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Obesity by BMI can be further stratified into class I (30-34.9), class II (35-39.9), class III (≥40), class IV (≥50), and class V (≥60).