Obesity - Country SA PHN

Preventing Obesity in SA

A proactive approach to tackling obesity

Prevalence of obesity in Australia

Overweight and obesity refers to excess body weight. People who are overweight or obese have higher rates of death and illness than people of healthy weight, particularly from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers.

In 2014–15, almost two-thirds (63%) of Australians aged 18 and over were overweight or obese. Put another way, approximately 11.2 million adults were overweight or obese (ABS 2015). About 1 in 3 (36%) adults were overweight but not obese, while about 1 in 4 (28%) were were obese.

In 2014–15, about 1 in 4 (26%) Australian children and adolescents aged 2–17 were overweight or obese. That’s around 1.2 million children and adolescents (ABS 2015). About 1 in 6 (18%) children and adolescents aged 2–17 were overweight but not obese, while about 1 in 13 (8%) were obese.

The Obesity Collective

Visit the Obesity Collective website for more information.

(The Obesity Collective is supported by two leadership groups: the Obesity Australia Board and the Advisers group.)

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Published on: November 12, 2020

Last updated on: March 6, 2026