The typical Australian is a non-smoker and has never smoked, does 42 minutes of exercise every day, is overweight or obese and does not eat enough vegetables.
Data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) National Health Survey 2017-18 shows that more than half of Australians (56 per cent) thought they were in excellent or very good health, while 15 per cent were feeling in fair or poor health.
ABS Director of Health Statistics, Louise Gates, said the typical Australian male weighed 87kg and stood 175cm tall and was therefore overweight while the typical female weighed 72kg and was 161cm tall and was also overweight.
“On average, we were doing 42 minutes of exercise every day, which mostly consisted of walking for transport or walking for exercise (24.6 minutes), however we didn’t participate in sufficient strength and toning activities", Ms Gates said. "In addition, 44 per cent of us spent most of our work day sitting."
“More than half of us were eating the recommended daily intake of fruit but not enough vegetables, with only 7.5 per cent of adults eating the recommended daily serves of vegetables."
In good news, while 79 per cent of us consumed alcohol in the last year, we did so at safe levels.
Fewer than half of Australians (48 per cent) consumed either sugar sweetened or diet drinks and 47 per cent of Australians had at least one chronic health condition.
Further details are in National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18 (cat. no. 4364.0.55.001) from the ABS website https://www.abs.gov.au.