While the condition affects more men than women, new data analysed by the Australian Health Tracker, compiled by the Mitchel Institute at Victoria University using Bureau of Statistics data, has revealed that lower socio-economic areas and those living outside major cities are more likely to be overweight or obese. The research also discovered that obesity has risen by 27% across Australia in the past decade.
The most obese suburbs in Australia
Regional and rural NSW suburbs make up most of Australia’s most overweight suburbs, while Wellington, just outside Dubbo in Central-west New South Wales, currently has the highest obesity rate in Australia, followed by Katherine in the Northern Territory which has a 43.3% obesity rate.
Sydney suburbs Homebush Bay and Silverwater had the highest rate of obese and overweight children aged between two and 17 years in New South Wales.
The leanest suburbs in Australia
Nedlands in Western Australia Suburbs was found to be the least obese in the country, followed by suburbs in Perth’s west and Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby on Sydney’s North Shore.
The research suggests that wealthier, inner-city suburbs that have more space dedicated to parks, gardens and recreational facilities contribute to the low rates of overweight Australians, while the lack of such facilities in regional and rural areas negatively affects those living there.
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