As Aussie waistlines expand, so do treatment costs

The majority of Australians are overweight or obese, with increasing numbers of people carrying excess weight costing health systems hundreds of millions of dollars.

Sixty-seven per cent or 13 million adults in Australia are overweight or obese, as well as roughly 27 per cent children aged 2-17, latest figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed on Wednesday.

In 2023/24, Australia spent close to $800 million on directly treating obesity with a further $10 billion spent on health conditions attributed to being overweight.

A higher proportion of men than women are classified as overweight, however spending related to the treatment and management of obesity was much higher in females at $570 million annually, than in males, at $210 million.

Factors contributing to whether a person was overweight often disproportionately affect those in lower socioeconomic areas, contributing to ongoing health inequities, an AIHW spokesperson said.

Rates of overweight Aussies have remained relatively flat in the past decade following an increase from 56 per cent to 67 per cent between 1995 and 2017/18.

However, between 1995 and 2022/24 abdominal obesity in Australian adults - measured by waist circumference - has almost doubled.

Being overweight or obese has become the leading risk factor contributing to death in Australia, overtaking tobacco use in recent years.

Australians are also becoming overweight younger, with the cohort comprising 55 per cent of 45 to 54 year old in 2022/24, compared with 46 per cent a decade earlier.

Many of the factors that drive overweight and obesity are outside an individual's control, including the environments people live in, according to AIHW Group Head for the Population Health Group Amy Young.

"The causes of overweight and obesity are complex," Ms Young said.

"The misconception that body weight is simply a matter of personal responsibility overlooks the broader social and environmental drivers of obesity."

One of the factors contributing to weight issues are modern environments which promote unhealthy foods and drinks and sedentary lifestyles, Ms Young said.

The AIHW advocates for management and treatment of excess weight and obesity involving a holistic approach tailored to a person's individual needs, which might include weight-loss surgery in combination with lifestyle changes.