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Report of the
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Health-related behaviours
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Report of the
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Health-related behaviours
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| Note: | Body Mass Index (BMI) was based on self reported height and weight. BMI=weight(kg)/height*height(m). BMI categories were as follows: underweight: BMI<20, acceptable weight: 20<=BMI<25, overweight: 25<=BMI<30, obese: BMI>=30. |
| Source: | NSW Population Health Survey (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health. |
Consistent with world and Australian trends, NSW is experiencing an increase in the levels of overweight and obesity in the population. Excess body fat increases the risk of developing a range of health problems including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, certain cancers, sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis, psychological disorders and social problems (AIHW, 2006). High body mass was responsible for 9% of the total burden of disease in Australia in 2003, with Type 2 diabetes and ischaemic heart disease accounting for more than three-quarters of this burden (Begg et al., in press).
The prevalence of overweight or obesity is measured in the NSW Population Health Survey by using self-reported height and weight in adults to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) (weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres). The BMI is classified into 4 categories: underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese.
In 2005, half of the NSW adult population was considered to be overweight or obese, an increase from 46.2% of the population in 2002. The increase over this period was statistically significant for the prevalence of obesity, but not for overweight. Between 2002 and 2005, levels of overweight and obesity increased in both males and females from 53.9% in 2002 to 57.2% in 2005 in males and from 38.5% in 2002 to 42.3% in 2005 in females. Levels of underweight were around three times higher in females than in males in 2005 (1.7% in males compared to 5.6% in females) and these levels were stable over the period 2002 to 2005. Levels of healthy weight declined in both males and females from 44.0% in 2002 to 41.1% in 2005 in males and from 56.3% in 2002 to 52.2% in 2005 in females.
The results presented here underestimate the true prevalence of overweight and obesity, because they rely on self-report of height and weight, via telephone interview. A validation study of 1997 NSW Health Survey data reported that the prevalence of overweight and obesity was underestimated by 23% for men and 15% for women (Flood et al., 2000).
| For more information: |
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia's health 2006. AIHW cat. no. AUS 73. Canberra: AIHW, 2006. Available at: www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10321. Begg S, Vos T, Barker B. et al. The burden of disease and injury in Australia, 2003. Canberra: AIHW, in press. Available at www.aihw.gov.au/publications. Flood V, Webb K, Lazarus R, Pang G. Use of self-report to monitor overweight and obesity in populations: Some issues for consideration. Aust N Z J Public Health 2000; 24: 96-99. NSW Department of Health. NSW Government Action Plan for the Prevention of Obesity in Children and Young People 2003-07. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2003. Available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/obesity/adult/gap/ObesityActionPlan.pdf. |
| Print version: | Although this page can be printed directly from your Web browser, a higher quality version of this entire page (graph, table and text) is available as an Acrobat PDF file which can be printed or viewed on screen using free software. |
| Downloadable files: | The data contained in the table on this page are available for download as a CSV file which can be imported into many software packages. The graph is available for download as an EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) file and as an EMF (Enhanced Metafile Format) file. Files in these formats can be imported into most word processing, presentation and graphics software packages. |
| Copyright notice: | This work is copyright NSW Department of Health, 2006. It may be reproduced in whole or in part, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. Commercial usage or sale is prohibited. |
| Suggested citation: | Population Health Division. The health of the people of New South Wales - Report of the Chief Health Officer. Sydney: NSW Department of Health. Available at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/beh/beh_bmi_cat.htm. Accessed (insert date of access). |
| Produced by: | Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health. |
| Last updated on: | 21 December 2006 |
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