Education
Several international studies have highlighted a relationship between education and the prevalence of overweight and obesity, especially in women(footnote 1) . People with better education may be more informed of the health consequences of their lifestyles, leading to healthier eating and exercising more often.
In Australia, there is a relationship between education and the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Adults who had completed Year 11 or lower were more likely to be overweight or obese (69%) than those who completed Year 12 or equivalent (54%). This pattern was evident across most age groups (Graph 4.5). People who had completed Year 11 or lower were also more likely to be sedentary or exercise at low levels than those who completed Year 12 or equivalent.
4.5 Proportion of people obese(a)(b), by Highest year of school completed
Similarly, adults who had qualifications such as a Certificate I-IV and those with no non-school qualification were more likely to be overweight or obese (66% and 63% respectively) than adults with a degree, diploma or higher qualification (55%). People who had a degree, diploma or higher qualification were more likely to eat the recommended daily amounts of fruit and vegetable and less likely to be sedentary or exercise at low levels than people with other or no non-school qualifications.
1 Franco Sassi, Obesity and the Economics of Prevention: Fit not fat. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2010.
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