Obesity

With the increasing prevalence of obesity in Australia in recent years, body weight has become a major public health concern.

The most recent national height and weight data (self-reported from the 2004–05 National Health Survey) indicated that around 2.5 million Australian adults over the age of 18 years were obese, and a further 4.9 million were overweight. These findings are broadly consistent with those based on data collected as a part of the 1999–2000 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study. This survey found that over seven million adult Australians aged 25 years and over were overweight. Of these, over two million were obese.

Perhaps of particular concern are the increased rates of overweight and obesity among Australian children and adolescents. While there is a dearth of recent national data on overweight and obesity among young people, National Health Survey data from 1995 revealed that 19.5 percent of boys and 21.1 percent of girls aged 2–18 years were overweight or obese. More recent evidence indicates that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian children is not only increasing, but accelerating. Indeed, some reports suggest that Australia now has the fastest growing childhood obesity rate in the world. There are also signs that obesity in Australian children may be developing at a younger age than in the past.

Excess body weight increases the risk of developing a wide range of health problems. These problems include Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis and psychological disorders. According to latest burden of disease and injury figures, in 2003 being overweight was the leading determinant of disease in Australia, accounting for 8.6 per cent of the overall economic and social cost of disease. Needless to say, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australia is placing increased pressure on the nation’s already stretched health budgets. Obesity-related illness is also taking its toll on the nation’s annual productivity, with losses in 2005 estimated at $1.7 billion.

The Commonwealth, state and territory governments have instituted several measures in recent years in efforts to reduce the rate of overweight and obesity. There are indications that these initiatives have not significantly slowed the increase in obesity or preventable chronic disease. Some experts have argued that Australia’s current approach to dealing with overweight and obesity, which focuses on individuals taking responsibility for their lifestyle choices, is inadequate. They suggest that without a whole-of-society, system-wide approach to dealing with the problem, poor diet and sedentary lifestyles will continue to contribute to increased rates of overweight and obesity. The main challenge for policymakers is to determine whether or not, and in what areas, there is a role for increased government intervention to remove barriers to healthy lifestyle choices.