Content
Overweight and obesity
- » What are overweight and obesity?
- » The burden of overweight and obesity in Australia
- » Overweight and obesity as a National Health Priority Area (NHPA)
- » NHMRC funding into overweight and obesity research
- » References
What are overweight and obesity?
Overweight and obesity are conditions of excess body fat. For adults, overweight and obesity are measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI): weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres. A BMI over 25 is considered overweight and BMI over 30 is considered obese. [1]
Aside from genetic factors, overweight and obesity are caused by an energy imbalance, where a person’s energy intake exceeds energy expenditure over a considerable period of time. A number of risk factors for overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent in Australia and other nations world-wide, leading to a significant increase in the number of people with overweight and obesity. [2]
The burden of overweight and obesity in Australia
According to the Department of Health and Ageing: [2]
- In Australia in 2004–05, some 41% of males and 25% of females were classified as overweight (BMI between 25.0 and 30.0); 18% of males and 17% of females were classified as obese (BMI > 30.0).
- These rates have increased significantly since 1995. Then, 38% of males and 21% of females were overweight and 11% of males and 11% of females were obese. These increases have been recorded for males and females across all age groups.
- Health problems and consequences of overweight and obesity range from cardiovascular disease and some cancers to type 2 diabetes, musculo-skeletal problems, sleep apnoea and psychosocial problems. Increased mortality is a risk associated with many of these diseases.
- Access Economics estimated the total financial cost to Australia of overweight and obesity rose from $3.767 billion in 2005 to $8.283 billion in 2008. [3]
Overweight and obesity as a National Health Priority Area (NHPA)
Studies have shown that there is a strong link between excess body weight and Type 2 diabetes, however overweight and obesity is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and some cancers. [2]
Because of this, in April 2008 the Australian Health Ministers' Conference agreed to make obesity the eighth National Health Priority Area. [4]
NHMRC funding into overweight and obesity research
NHMRC has invested over $68.9 million for research related to overweight and obesity from 2000 to 2007.
| Year | Funding ($m) |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.4 |
| 2001 | 3.4 |
| 2002 | 5.1 |
| 2003 | 5.4 |
| 2004 | 8.5 |
| 2005 | 12.4 |
| 2006 | 13.8 |
| 2007 | 17.9 |
» More information on grants related to overweight and obesity
References
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2008), Australia's Health 2008
- Department of Health and Ageing
- Access Economics (2008), The growing cost of obesity in 2008: three years on
- Press release: Australian Health Ministers' Conference communique, 18 April 2008