Overweight and obesity
Worldwide, rates of overweight and obesity have increased substantially over the past 4 decades, due to diets higher in saturated fats and sugar, and to people being less active (World Health Organization 2020). Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney disease – health conditions that often occur together (AIHW 2015a, 2022d).
A poorer quality of diet – lacking in important nutrients and high in processed food – can contribute to obesity. Diet can be affected by what foods are affordable and readily available. For example, fresh fruit and vegetables can be difficult to access by people with low incomes and in more remote areas (Thurber et al. 2017).
In 2018–19, based on Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated using voluntary physical measurements, 71% (381,800) of First Nations people aged 15 and over were overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9) or obese (BMI ≥30.0). After adjusting for differences in the age structure between the 2 populations, First Nations people aged 15 and over were less likely than non-Indigenous Australians to be overweight (29% and 35%, respectively) but 1.5 times as likely to be obese (46% and 30%, respectively).
Across remoteness areas, the proportion of First Nations people who were overweight or obese ranged from 62% in Very remote areas to 76% in Inner regional areas (Figure 5.9).
Figure 5.9: Proportion of First Nations people aged 15 and over who were overweight or obese, by remoteness, 2018–19
Note: Body Mass Index was derived from measured height and weight.
Source: Measure 2.22, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey 2018–19.
In 2018–19, 72% of First Nations females and 71% of First Nations males were overweight or obese. A higher proportion of First Nations females were obese than First Nations males (45% compared with 40%, respectively). For First Nations people, the proportion of overweight or obese people increased with age, ranging from 42% for those aged 15–17 to 80–82% for those aged 35 and over (ABS 2019) (Figure 5.10).
Figure 5.10: Proportion of First Nations people aged 15 and over who were overweight or obese, by sex, and by age group, 2018–19
Source: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey 2018–19.
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