The Epidemic of Obesity in Australian Adults

Obesity is an epidemic within Australia, with Australia ranked the fifth most obese countries, among Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OCED). Obesity is defined as excess fat accumulation around the body caused by environmental and genetic factors that is reversible. In 2014-15 Almost two-thirds (63%) of the Australian population aged 18 or over were overweight or obese, but only 28% of the population were obese. Obesity is easily preventable/reversible with knowledge and education on healthy lifestyle choices. This report will assess the epidemic of obesity in Australian adults and propose a goal to reduce the growing impact of obesity on the Australian population.

Obesity is linked to numerous serious health implications throughout Australia including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers. These health implications are linked to consequential disability and premature death. Obesity results from a higher energy intake over energy expenditure, this means someone is eating and drinking more calories than they are burning through exercise. It is recommended to Australians to maintain a healthy weight they should follow a diet dependable with the Australians Dietary Guidelines. This diet recommends a limited intake of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods (which contain saturated fats, added sugars, added salt, and alcohol). This diet consists of whole grains, vegetables and legumes/beans, fruit, some lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and milk, yoghurt and cheese.

Since 1995, the rate of obesity across Australian adults has increased by 49%. The way Australians live has transformed dramatically over the years, as Australian adults are spending more time sitting and lying down (ABS 2013, 2016). Between 2014-15, 4.9 million (27.9%) of Australian adults were estimated obese. The obesity rates of men and women were similar throughout this period as men were an estimated 28.4% and women were an estimated 27.4%. Australians aged 18-24 years had the lowest estimated obesity rate of 17.1%, compared to Australians aged 55-64 years (35.9%) and 45-54 years (33%), with obesity rates twice as high. Primary Health Networks (PHN) across Australia state that obesity ranges from 16% in Central and Eastern Sydney compared to 38.1% in Country SA. This shows regional PHN areas have higher rates of obesity and are more at risk compared to metropolitan PHN areas. Between 2014-15, 34.7% of adults living in regional PHN areas had a higher rate of obesity compared to adults living in metropolitan PHN areas with an obesity rate of 24.3%. On the other hand, Australian men are more likely to be overweight at ages 35-44 and obese at ages 65-74. Compared to women who are more likely to be overweight at 75-84 and obese at ages 55-64.

Major health implications in Australian adults have been linked to obesity. These include; cardiovascular disease (particularly heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis, and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon). All these conditions instigate premature death and extensive disability. These additional health implications have a significant impact on the Australian economy. In 2014-15, it was reported more than 124,600 weight-loss surgery procedures were billed to Medicare, in both public and private hospital systems.

In Australia in 2011, obesity and overweight contributed 7% towards the total burden of disease and injuries. This increase from other years was due to discoveries between the risk factor and the linked disease. A contribution towards this increase was newly linked diseases to the risk factor and exclusion of some existing linked diseases, based on evidence from the GBD 2015. Consequently, males (7.3%) obtained higher obesity and overweight percentage than females (6.6%). Males are more likely to experience a greater amount of disease burden allied with obesity and overweight than women. Moreover, cardiovascular disease contributed around 38% of the burden associated with overweight and obesity in Australia in 2011. Correspondingly, coronary heart disease contributed 27% of the disease burden, while strokes contributed to 9.5%.

Comparing the rate of obesity in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians show indigenous people aged 18 and over are 1.6 times more likely to obese than non-Indigenous Australians. In 2012-13, 40% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults were obese. A comparison between the obesity rate in Indigenous women (70%) and men (69%) show similar rates of obesity. Similarly, Australians live in lower socioeconomic areas are 34% more likely to be obese than adults living in higher socioeconomic areas. In 2014-15, 63% of women in lower socioeconomic groups were obese compared to 48% of women in higher socioeconomic groups. Accordingly, the prevalence of obesity in men was similar in both lower and higher socioeconomic groups ranging from 69% to 73%.

Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians living in lower socioeconomic groups indicate a higher prevalence of obesity, than Australians living in higher socioeconomic groups. Indigenous females are 1.7 times more likely to be obese than Non-Indigenous females living in higher socioeconomic groups. Accordingly, Indigenous males are 1.4 times more likely to be obese than Non-Indigenous males living in higher socioeconomic groups. Indigenous Australians encounter extensive disadvantage and health inequality. Between 2014-15, Indigenous Australian were more likely to rate their health ‘poor’ or ‘fair’. On average, Indigenous Australians attain lower levels of education, employment, income and poor-quality housing. Additionally, Indigenous Australians have greater difficulty accessing health services, along with healthy food options to reduce the risk of excessive weight gain. Australians living in lower socioeconomic groups are at greater risk of poor health, higher rates of illness, disability, and death, along with living shorter lives than Australians in higher socioeconomic areas. In 2014-15, Australians living in lower socioeconomic groups were 1.6 times more likely to obese than those in higher socioeconomic groups.

The proposed goal for improving obesity within Australian adults is to reduce inequalities in adults living in lower socioeconomic areas including indigenous Australians. This goal focuses on the indigenous and non-indigenous Australians who are most disadvantaged and lack the resources and education to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This goal will focus on reducing the prevalence of obesity within disadvantaged Australians.

Overall, obesity is a growing epidemic within Australia affecting Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians in lower socioeconomic groups. These disadvantaged groups have limited access to services essential for a healthy lifestyle, increasing the rate of obesity. The proposed goal focuses on assisting these disadvantaged groups to reduce the rate of obesity within Australia.