A “huge increase” in heart attacks, strokes and diabetes has resulted due to the quantum leap in the number of overweight people
A “huge increase” in heart attacks, strokes and diabetes has resulted due to the quantum leap in the number of overweight people. Reuters

Australia’s obesity crisis has increased by 7 percent since 1995, but on the positive side, the percentage of adults smoking or drinking excessively went down in 2011-12. Interestingly, though 63.4 percent of Australian adults are “overweight or obese,” most of them consider themselves to be in excellent health.

According to the ABS National Health Survey (NHS) 2014-15, more than 50 percent of Australian adults believe they are still quite fit despite the alarming weight-related statistics. The ABS survey, says the Huffington Post, shows that one in four children aged 15-17 years are overweight or obese.

In contrast, the figures for smoking and alcohol consumption show a decline between 2011-12 and 2014-15. The percentage of adults consuming more than the recommended two standard drinks a day has come down by 2 percent to 17.4 percent in this period. The decline in daily adult smoking is also comparable, at 14.5 percent, as against 16 percent in 2011.

The ABS survey is a triennial report based on a sample of 20,000 people. The health survey has also found an increasing number of Australians suffering from chronic health problems, including diabetes, says the Sydney Morning Herald.

The newspaper cites Cassandra Szoeke, director of the Healthy Ageing Project at the University of Melbourne, as saying that people were more receptive to the health messages around alcohol ("don't drink too much") and smoking ("don't smoke") than healthy eating or exercise advice, depending on the person. "Poor diet, low physical activity, smoking, excess alcohol, excess weight and high blood pressure all contribute to heart disease, depression, diabetes and even arthritis," says Cassandra.

The first to include a dedicated module on mental health, this ABS health survey further shows that more than one in six Australians suffer from anxiety or depression, and findings show that women were more identified with it.

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