In 2015, physical inactivity accounted for 2.5% of the disease burden in Australia.
These estimates reflect the amount of disease burden that could have been avoided if all people in Australia were sufficiently physically active (see Supplementary tables).
Physical inactivity was causally linked to the burden from type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer, dementia, coronary heart disease and stroke, as well as uterine and breast cancer in females.
How much burden was attributable to physical inactivity?
Physical inactivity was responsible for 19% of the disease burden due to type 2 diabetes, 17% due to bowel cancer, 16% of the uterine cancer burden, 14% of dementia burden, 12% of coronary heart disease burden, 11% of breast cancer and 10% of stroke burden.