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Prevalence of obesity in Australia
Author(s) -
Thorburn A. W.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
obesity reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.845
H-Index - 162
eISSN - 1467-789X
pISSN - 1467-7881
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-789x.2005.00187.x
Subject(s) - overweight , obesity , indigenous , immigration , mainland , mainland china , geography , epidemiology , demography , population , medicine , environmental health , socioeconomics , gerontology , china , sociology , ecology , archaeology , biology
Summary Australia is a large country approximately equal in area to mainland United States. The relatively small population of around 20 million are composed primarily of Caucasians. Extensive immigration from many different countries has made Australia one of the most culturally diverse populations in the world. Indigenous Australians make up only 2.4% of the total population. Australia has a prosperous Western‐style capitalist economy, and spends approximately $830 million on the direct health care costs of obesity. For Australians, it is now more common to have a weight problem, with overweight affecting 48% of men and 30% of women and obesity affecting a further 19% of men and 22% of women. This paper reports on recent epidemiological studies documenting the extent of overweight and obesity in adults and children in Australia.