3-9
3-9. Overweight and Obesity
3-9-1. Overweight and Obesity in South Australia – by Local Health Network
3-9-2. Overweight and Obesity in South Australia – by age and sex
3-9-3. Overweight and Obesity in South Australia – by socio-economic status
3-9-4. Overweight and Obesity in Australia – by state and territory
3-9-5. Overweight and Obesity – Aboriginal people
Introduction
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on the ratio of weight and height (bodyweight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared). The normal range of BMI for an adult is 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2. 'Overweight' is defined by the World Health Organisation as a BMI in the range of 25 to less than 30. 'Obesity' is a BMI of 30 or higher.
For overweight and obesity rates in children, please refer to Chapter 2-11.
3-9-1. Overweight and Obesity in South Australia – by Local Health Network
- In 2017, around two-thirds (63.7%) of South Australians aged 18 years or more were either overweight or obese1.
- The rate varies between the local health networks (LHNs) from 57.8% in the Barossa Hills Fleurieu LHN to 74.6% in the Flinders and Upper North LHN1.
- The overweight/obesity rate among Country SA residents (65.4%) is not statistically significantly higher than the metropolitan Adelaide rate (62.9%)1.
- Over the last decade the rates of overweight and obesity in both the metropolitan Adelaide and Country SA time series have statistically significantly increased1.
| Local Health Network | % |
| Northern Adelaide | 70.7% |
| Central Adelaide | 59.4% |
| Southern Adelaide | 60.6% |
| Metropolitan Adelaide | 62.9% |
| Barossa Hills Fleurieu | 57.8% |
| Eyre and Far North | 66.7% |
| Flinders and Upper North | 74.6% |
| Riverland Mallee Coorong | 71.0% |
| South East | 71.1% |
| Yorke & Northern | 68.0% |
| Country SA LHN | 65.4% |
| South Australia | 63.7% |
| Australia | n.a. |
Data source: SA Health 2018
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3-9-2. Overweight and Obesity in South Australia – by age and sex
- In 2017, the proportion of males aged 18 years and over who were overweight or obese (67.0%) was higher than the corresponding female rate (60.5%)1.
| Age (years) | Males | Females |
| 18-24 | 35.8% | 35.1% |
| 25-34 | 65.3% | 54.8% |
| 35-44 | 79.1% | 62.6% |
| 45-54 | 78.3% | 64.7% |
| 55-64 | 76.5% | 72.1% |
| 65-74 | 76.3% | 65.3% |
| 75+ | 60.9% | 60.8% |
| All ages | 67.0% | 60.5% |
Data source: SA Health 2018
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3-9-3. Overweight and Obesity in South Australia – by socio-economic status
- There is a statistically significant inverse correlation between the proportion of people aged 18 years and over who are classified as overweight or obese and the socio-economic status of the area in which they live1.
| Socio-economic status (SES) | % |
| Lowest SES | 69.7% |
| Low SES | 71.9% |
| Middle SES | 62.4% |
| High SES | 61.0% |
| Highest SES | 55.6% |
Data source: SA Health 2018
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3-9-4. Overweight and Obesity in Australia – by state and territory
- The data below comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2017-18 National Health Survey. It is therefore not directly comparable to the information presented in 3-9-1 to 3-9-3 above which is sourced via the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System.
- However, the national survey is broadly in line with results from the state-specific survey, with 68.3% (age standardised) of South Australians aged 18 years and over self-reporting a body mass index (BMI) that classifies them as overweight or obese2.
- Nationally, the South Australian overweight/obesity rate is slightly above the Australian average of 66.4% (age standardised), and is ranked second-highest of the states and territories2.
| State/Territory | % |
| Australian Capital Territory | 64.1% |
| Queensland | 65.2% |
| New South Wales | 65.4% |
| Northern Territory | 65.5% |
| Western Australia | 66.2% |
| Victoria | 68.0% |
| South Australia | 68.3% |
| Tasmania | 69.3% |
| Australia | 66.4% |
Data source: ABS 2018
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3-9-5. Overweight and Obesity – Aboriginal people
- In 2018-19, 70.9% of Aboriginal people in South Australia aged 15 years and older had a body mass index (BMI) classified as overweight or obese3.
- This is roughly comparable to the 68.3% (age standardised) overweight/obesity rate recorded for all South Australians aged 18 years or more in the ABS 2017-18 National Health Survey (see 3-9-4 above)2.
- South Australia's overweight/obesity rate for Aboriginal people is also roughly comparable to the national average for Aboriginal people (71.2%)3.
| State/Territory | % |
| Northern Territory | 59.0% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 67.3%* |
| Queensland | 70.0% |
| South Australia | 70.9% |
| Western Australia | 73.2% |
| Victoria | 73.4% |
| New South Wales | 73.6% |
| Tasmania | 75.5% |
| Australia | 71.2% |
* Estimate has a high margin of error and should be used with caution
Data source: ABS 2019
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Sources
- Based on South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System customised extract 2018, Prevention and Population Health, SA Health, Adelaide, 16 August 2018.
- Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2018), ‘Table 2.3 Summary health characteristics — States and territories, Proportion of persons’, National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18, cat. no. 4364.0.55.001, 12 December 2018.
- Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2019), 'Table 3.3 Selected health characteristics, by State/Territory, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons, 2018–19, Proportion of persons,' National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2018-19, cat. no. 4715.0, 11 December 2019.
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