Over 3 million Aussies in battle of the bulge
20 September 2003
The number of obese Australian adults is estimated to be as high as 3.3 million and the number of overweight but not obese is estimated at around 5.6 million, according to a bulletin released this month by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
In addition, the prevalence of obesity rose alarmingly in only 10 years over the 1990s: by 71 per cent for men, and by 80 per cent for women.
(Overweight is usually indicated by a body mass index (BMI) between 26 and 30; obesity is usually indicated by a BMI greater than 30. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared.)
The bulletin, A growing problem: Trends and patterns in overweight and obesity 1980 to 2001, draws together data from all relevant national surveys conducted since 1980.
It shows that at least 16 per cent of men and 17 per cent of women aged 18 and over were obese, with a further 42 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women being overweight but not obese.
Report co-author Anne-Marie Waters said that these percentages underestimated the true extent of the problem because they were based on self-reported height and weight data.
'We know that people tend to overestimate their height, and underestimate their weight. The raw self-reported figure shows 2.4 million Aussies as obese, but we estimate that the actual figure is 3.3 million,' Ms Waters said.
This estimate is backed up by survey data based on measured height and weight, which show an 80 per cent increase in prevalence of obesity in men aged 25 to 64 years in just over 2 decades (the 1980s and 1990s), and a 150 per cent increase for women, explained Ms Walters.
The AIHW's Medical Adviser, Dr Paul Magnus, said that Australians should be concerned at the magnitude and speed of the rises in overweight and obesity in recent years, because of their significant health, social and economic impacts.
'But there is enormous scope to reverse the trend through environmental and lifestyle changes that enable and encourage increased physical activity and a healthier diet,' Dr Magnus said.
Last Reviewed: 22 September 2003
