About the release:

​Living with overweight or obesity can have major impacts on a person’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. It is the second leading risk factor for ill-health and premature mortality in Australia. It increases the risk of many preventable chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many types of cancer. This web report provides an overview of the prevalence of Australians living with overweight and obesity.

​Staying active is essential for good physical and mental health and wellbeing. Insufficient physical activity is a key risk factor contributing to disease burden in Australia. Regular physical activity can help manage many biomedical risk factors such as high body weight, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. This report looks at the level of physical activity in Australian children and adults against Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary behaviour Guidelines.

Most Australians do not meet the Australian Dietary Guidelines and consume diets high in discretionary foods, sugar, salt and fat, yet not enough fruit and vegetables. Dietary risk factors are a leading cause of ill health and contribute to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. This report provides an overview of Australians’ consumption of foods and drinks, and selected nutrients, and the health impacts of dietary risk factors.