Approximately 3.3 million Australians are obese with another 5.6 million overweight. In Australia between 1980 and 1999–2000 the proportion of men aged between 25 and 64 years who were obese rose from 9% to 17%. Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke and certain forms of cancer.

Obesity is ultimately the result of an energy imbalance (a higher energy intake than that expended by the body on metabolism, growth and physical activity). At a population level, energy input has increased through a high energy diet, without a sufficient increase in physical activity levels: resulting in a large energy imbalance leading to obesity.

However, physical activity and healthy eating behaviours are the intermediate causes of obesity. These behaviours are the result of a complex interaction of factors: including the social, cultural, economic and physical environments that promote sedentary lifestyles and an over consumption of energy dense food.

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  Obesity & Overweight Fact Sheet

 
Read more about VicHealth obesity initiatives and programs