Australians getting fatter
September 13, 2012
AUSTRALIAN waist lines have
ballooned out over the last decade,
according to a report by the
Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare.
The report found that on average
men and women are 3.6kg and
2.8kg heavier respectively now
than they were ten years ago, and
that the proportion of adults whose
waist circumference puts them at
risk of chronic disease (more than
94cm for men and 80cm for
women) has risen from 45% to
60%.
The largest rise in overweight/
obesity rates over the decade was
found in females aged 12 to 44.
In addition the report found that
around 70% of adults are not active
enough to get any health benefits,
and 93% of adults are not eating
the recommended five serves of
vegetables a day.
The report did however yield
some good news, showing that
rates of smoking have fallen
substantially among young people,
particularly teenagers, in the last
decade.
“The proportion of adults who
were daily smokers also dropped
between 1989-90 and 2007-08,
from 27% to 21% for men and from
20% to 17% for women,” said AIHW
spokesperson Dr Lynelle Moon.
The AIHW also said that smoking
is likely to continue to decline into
the future because the smoking
behaviour of younger age groups is
generally predictive of future
smoking behaviour.
In terms of drinking, the report
found that apart from men aged 75
or over, increases were seen in the
proportion of people aged 18 or
over who drank at long-term risky
levels between 1995 and 2007-08
in all age groups.
However, these rates were found
to have stabilised among some age
groups since 2004-05.
Speaking in the wake of the
report, the National Heart
Foundation of Australia expressed
concern that heart disease rates
could start to rise.
“This is a bad report card for
Australia’s health – we’re getting Fs
in almost every area which means
that heart disease rates could start
rising again,” said Dr Lyn Roberts –
National CEO of the Heart
Foundation.
Roberts used the report to call for
the Government to do more to
make healthier choices easier for
Australians.
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