The relationship between obesity and poor health is highlighted
in a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare.
Health, wellbeing and bodyweight: characteristics of
overweight and obesity in Australia 2001 shows that obese men
and women were much more likely to report fair or poor health
compared to their healthy weight counterparts (26% of obese men and
28% of obese women compared with 17% and 16% of healthy weight men
and women respectively).
Long term health conditions such as diabetes, heart and
circulatory conditions, high blood pressure and high blood
cholesterol were more commonly reported by obese and overweight
women and men.
Report co-author Kathleen O'Brien noted 'A clear relationship
was found between weight and the prevalence of heart and
circulatory conditions, with the likelihood of reporting a heart or
circulatory condition rising with increasing weight.'
Interestingly, some specific health conditions were more
commonly reported in obese women compared with healthy weight
women, than in the corresponding categories of men.
A total of 9% of obese women reported having diabetes compared
with 2% of healthy weight women. There was also quite a significant
gap with the incidence of high blood pressure in women (28% vs. 12%
respectively).
Obese women were also more likely to have visited a hospital or
doctor in the past fortnight.
Kathleen O'Brien said there were also some interesting results
in the area of health behaviours, considering health conditions and
use of health services were found to be more common among
overweight people.
'Overweight people were more likely to drink skim milk than
healthy weight adults, for example.
'We also discovered that smoking was more common among healthy
weight men (30%) than in those that were obese (24%), while no
relationship between weight status and smoking was found in
women.'
'In contrast, it was reported that obese men and women were less
likely to participate in moderate to high levels of physical
activity than their healthy weight counterparts.'
4 March 2004
Further information: Kathleen O'Brien , AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1220 or 0407 915 851 (mobile) or
Bonnie Field, AIHW, 02 6244 1287
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1032
Availability: Check the AIHW
Publications Catalogue for availability of Health,
wellbeing and bodyweight: characteristics of overweight and obesity
in Australia 2001 - March 2004.