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OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY Being overweight or obese increases a person's risk of developing long-term health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, while being underweight can also be a health risk factor for some people.
In 2014-15, 63.4% of Australians aged 18 years and over were overweight or obese (11.2 million people), comprised of 35.5% overweight (6.3 million people) and 27.9% obese (4.9 million people). A further 35.0% were of normal weight and 1.6% were underweight. While the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased in Australia between 1995 (56.3%) and 2011-12 (62.8%), there was no significant increase between 2011-12 and 2014-15. Overall, 70.8% of men were overweight or obese in 2014-15, compared with 56.3% of women. Footnote(s): (a) BMI scores of 25 and above Source(s): National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15 Rates of overweight and obesity increase with age. Of men aged 45 years and over, almost four in five (79.4%) were overweight or obese in 2014-15, while two in three women (65.7%) of the same age were overweight or obese. Footnote(s): (a) BMI Score of 25 and over Source(s): National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15 In 2014-15, more women living in areas of most disadvantage in Australia were overweight or obese (first quintile; 61.1%) than women living in areas of least disadvantage (fifth quintile; 47.8%). For men there were no differences between areas of disadvantage. These patterns were similar to those of 2011-12. Footnote(s): (a) Based on the 2011 Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage. A lower Index of Disadvantage quintile (e.g. the first quintile) indicates an area with relatively greater disadvantage. A higher Index of Disadvantage (e.g. the fifth quintile) indicates an area with a relative lack of disadvantage. See the Glossary for more information. Source(s): National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15 Rates of overweight and obesity also vary by remoteness areas. In 2014-15, 61.1% of adults living in Major Cities were overweight or obese compared with 69.2% in Inner Regional Australia and 69.2% also in Outer Regional and Remote Australia. This pattern was consistent with that of 2011-12. Source(s): National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15 Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.
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