A SOBERING new obesity report by the nation's peak body titled A Time for Action found the number of Australians living with the disorder jumped from 3.9 million in 2012 to 6.3 million in 2022.
The latest ABS figures show the highest prevalence growth rates have been in high-risk obesity (class 3), which increased by 48% in the decade to 2022, and moderate risk (class 2), which increased by 23% over the same period.
In some good news, the growth in the proportion of Australians who are overweight (but not obese) is down from 35.6% to 34% in the past four years.
The Obesity Collective Director Tiffany Petre said the results for high-risk obesity are not surprising and indicate we are failing people most impacted by obesity.
"We're seeing the number of Australians with severe weight issues continue to grow.
"That's where the biggest health issues present, which most impact people's wellbeing," said Petre.
Collective Leader and Chair of Obesity Australia and Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre at The University of Sydney Prof Stephen Simpson said that obesity is a normal physiological response to unhealthy and obesity-promoting environments.
"Some people are more impacted than others for a range of reasons, including genetic predisposition and early life environmental impacts.
"We celebrated the launch of the National Obesity Strategy two years ago as a positive step but have seen little action from govt since.
"Obesity needs to be a national priority," added Simpson.
The report also highlighted the relationship between obesity and disadvantage, with higher obesity rates in rural and regional areas, poor communities, areas with lower levels of education, and Indigenous communities. JG
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