According to 2007 statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), Australia has the third-highest prevalence of overweight adults in the English-speaking world. Obesity in Australia is an “epidemic” with “increasing frequency.”
We all want to be healthy, and we know being obese or overweight is a risk for many health problems in the long run. Managing your weight comes down to an overall healthy lifestyle, which is focused on eating nutritious foods and keeping physically active in a way that is sustainable, and enjoyable.
Unfortunately, more and more Australians are becoming obese or overweight. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare tells us that during 2011-12:
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Almost two in three Australians are overweight or obese
- 10 percent more adults are overweight or obese than in 1995
- Overweight and obesity is the second highest contributor to the burden of disease (behind smoking).
Associated health problems
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Fatty liver
- Some cancers
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Gall bladder disease
- High blood cholesterol levels