64 per cent of Queensland adults are currently overweight or obese, and about 33 per cent don’t even realise it.
In 2015, it was estimated that community members being overweight and obese cost Queensland’s health system around $0.76 billion and a societal cost to Queensland of $11.2 billion.
While the significant burden of being overweight and obese on an individual and the health system is not a new issue, a Queensland Health public awareness campaign is focussed on improving the behaviours of young male adults who are a healthy weight now but are at risk of being overweight or obese in the future.
According to the Health of Queenslanders 2018 report, of the Gold Coast’s population of 591,570, about one in five (or 91,000) adults identify as obese, whereas the Queensland data shows one in four adults are obese. Gold Coast Public Health Unit Staff Specialist Dr Anu Anuradha said it was pleasing to see the Gold Coast community adopting a more active and healthy lifestyle.
“The report shows eight per cent of Gold Coast adults were inactive, which is well below the state average, so it is encouraging to see more and more people on the Coast choosing active lifestyles,” she said.
“We know that being overweight or obese has a real impact on health and wellbeing, which is why Gold Coast Health works closely with community partners to empower people to live healthy and happy lives through making wiser choices,” Dr Anu said.
While the Health of Queenslanders report shows that Gold Coast adults are more likely to be a healthy weight compared to adults living in other parts of the state, Gold Coasters are among the males aged 18-34 being asked to break up with their unhealthy relationships with eating and physical inactivity in the ‘End your unhealthy relationships campaign’.
The campaign focuses on:
- Small changes adding up to big change
- Actions are based on five key behaviours;
- increasing fruit and vegetable consumption
- reducing consumption of sugary drinks
- eating smaller portions
- less sitting, more moving
- making healthier choices when eating out and at home.
For more information about the behaviour changes that could add up to your ‘happy healthy’, head to the Healthier.Happier webpage.
