Overweight and obesity by indigenous status In 2018–19, more than three-quarters (76.8%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years and over were either overweight (29.6%) or obese (47.2%), when standardised for age to reflect differences in the age structure of the population.
In 2018–19, 71% (381,800) of Indigenous Australians aged 15 and over had a BMI in the overweight (25–29.9) or obese (>30.0) range (29% were overweight and 43% obese).
The latest National Health Survey shows that men are more likely to be overweight or obese than women (74.5 % compared with 59.7% respectively). Men and women living in regional and remote areas of Australia are more likely to be overweight or obese than men and women living in major cities.
In Australia, currently 63.4 per cent of adults and 24 per cent of children are considered overweight or obese. The World Obesity Federation projects 51 per cent of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035. The economic impact of the increased rate of obesity is projected to be $6.38 trillion.
Due to differences in body proportion, BMI may not describe the same degree of unhealthy weight in populations other than Caucasian.
BMI is also not reliable to use on elderly adults, who generally have lost some amount of muscle and bone mass. In this case, an elderly person's BMI could be within a normal range while they might actually be overweight.
Lead researcher Dr Sean Coffey says BMI was associated with EAT thickness in Europeans, but not in Māori or Pacific patients. “Our results showed that using BMI as a measure of obesity is unlikely to be accurate in Māori and Pacific patients as a way to predict EAT .”
The intergenerational cultural, socio-economic and political impact of Australia's colonisation have led to poor nutrition and health including the forced removal of Aboriginal people from traditional lands and a resultant inability to access traditional food sources as Aboriginal people became more urbanised, were ...
Overweight and obesity
Tasmania had the highest rate of adults who were overweight or obese (70.9%), compared with Australian Capital Territory (64.0%) who had the lowest.
The rise in obesity has been attributed to poor eating habits in the country closely related to the availability of fast food since the 1970s, sedentary lifestyles and a decrease in the labour workforce.
Australia ranked 9th out of 21 countries with available data for the proportion of people aged 15 and over who were living with overweight or obesity (65%) – this was greater than the OECD average of 60%.
For adults, the BMI ranges and classifications are: BMI under 18.5: underweight. BMI between 18.5 and 24.9: healthy weight range. BMI between 25.0 and 29.9: overweight.
New academic research across rural New Zealand has found Māori and low income people are likely to be more obese because they do not have access to exercise facilities such as gyms, ExerciseNZ chief executive Richard Beddie says.
PovertyWho is affected? This graph shows that the poverty rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is 31%, and that poverty amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is twice as high in very remote communities (54%) as in major cities (24%).
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the most obese countries are primarily located in the Pacific and the Middle East. The Pacific island nations of Nauru, Cook Islands, and Palau have the highest rates of obesity, with over 30% of their populations being classified as obese.
Tasmania has been named the unhealthiest state in the country with the highest stress levels, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and smoking rates.
Congratulations Adelaide, we're officially the healthiest city in the nation! Adelaide, tying with Gold Coast, has been named the healthiest cities in Australia in a new study by Mandoe Media, with Melbourne, Perth and Sydney rounding out the top 5.
The findings mean Australia is the world's most overweight nation, ahead of the notoriously super-sized Americans, who have a 25 per cent obesity rate.
Coronary heart disease, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory diseases and lung and related cancers are the main causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Background. Indigenous populations have poorer health outcomes compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts [1]. The experience of colonisation, and the long-term effects of being colonised, has caused inequalities in Indigenous health status, including physical, social, emotional, and mental health and wellbeing [2].
Obesity is associated with the leading causes of death, including deaths from diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. How Does Obesity Affect African American Populations? African American women have the highest rates of obesity or being overweight compared to other groups in the United States.
Previously, it was thought that Pacific Islanders were genetically predisposed to obesity, but new research indicates that it may be the result of the introduction of Western diets to the islands.
If your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the healthy weight range. If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range. If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obesity range.