Overview

Excess weight, especially obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers. As the level of excess weight increases, so does the risk of developing these conditions. In addition, being overweight can hamper the ability to control or manage chronic conditions.

More reports and statistics on overweight & obesity can be found under Food & nutrition and Physical activity.

Latest findings

Overweight and obesity in Australian children and adolescents has stayed relatively stable since 2007–08 (25%) 38% of Indigenous children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2018–19, increasing from 31% in 2012–13 Young people aged 15–24 in 2017–18 were more likely to be overweight or obese than those in 1995 and 2007–08 60% of men and 66% of women in 2017–18 had a waist circumference that indicated a high risk of metabolic complications 25% of Australian children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2017–18 Younger children more commonly change weight categories (to or from overweight or obese) than older children In 2017–18, 38% of adults in the lowest socioeconomic areas were obese, compared with 24% in the highest For most age groups, those born most recently were more likely to be obese than those born 10 years earlier One in four (25%) children and adolescents aged 2–17 were overweight or obese in 2017–18 Children and adolescents living in areas of higher disadvantage are more likely to be overweight or obese 2 in 3 (67%) adults were overweight or obese in 2017–18—36% were overweight but not obese and 31% were obese Australia had the 6th highest proportion of overweight or obese people aged 15+ among 22 OECD member countries in 2019 The prevalence of obesity among people born in 1973–1982 increased from 6.5% at age 13–22 to 31% at age 35–44 For every age group, the median BMI of those born most recently was higher than that of those born 10 years earlier For people born in 1963–1972, the median BMI increased from 24.4 kg/m2 at age 23–32 to 28.1 kg/m2 at age 45–54

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Highlights

1 in 4(25%) children and adolescents aged 2–17 and 2 in 3 (67%) adults were overweight or obese in 2017–18
38%of Indigenous children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2018–19, increasing from 31% in 2012–13
Young people aged 15–24 in 2017–18 were more likely to be overweight or obese than those in 1995 and 2007–08
Australian dataon death and disability related to overweight and obesity are underdeveloped
8.4%of the burden of disease in Australia was attributable to overweight and obesity in 2015
1 in 3(31%) Australian adults were obese in 2017–18, an increase from 1 in 5 (19%) in 1995
The prevalenceof obesity among people born in 1973–1982 increased from 7% at age 13–22 to 31% at age 35–44