Overweight (including obesity) has overtaken tobacco use as the leading risk factor contributing to disease burden in Australia.
In 2022–24:
- 67% of adults were living with overweight or obesity – around 13.2 million people.
- 27% of children and adolescents were living with overweight or obesity – around 1.4 million people.
Excess weight, particularly obesity, is associated with an increased risk of conditions including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers.
People living with overweight or obesity are often told that losing weight and improving their health is simply a matter of personal responsibility.
But is it really that simple?
Personal responsibility matters, but responsibility is not the same as control.
Our health is influenced not only by the choices we make, but also by the circumstances in which those choices are made.
Education, income, working conditions, access to food, access to healthcare, the neighbourhood we live in and opportunities to be physically active can all influence our health. Biological, genetic and environmental factors also influence body weight.
For example, someone working long and exhausting shifts may have less time and energy to shop, cook or exercise. Someone else may live in an area where nutritious food, healthcare or safe places to be physically active are harder to access.
These differences can be seen across Australia. In 2022–24, 70% of adults living in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas were living with overweight or obesity, compared with 62% in the least disadvantaged areas.
This does not mean that our individual choices are unimportant. Exercise, nutrition, sleep and other health behaviours still matter.
It means that not everyone has the same opportunities, resources or barriers when making those choices.
Weight stigma does not help either. Judging someone because of their weight can contribute to poorer wellbeing and create additional barriers to engaging with healthcare.
So what?
Perhaps the lesson extends beyond body weight.
When we look at another person’s health, it can be easy to see the choices they make. It is much harder to see all the circumstances that may have shaped those choices.
Rather than making assumptions, we can approach people with respect, empathy and curiosity about their individual circumstances.
We can encourage people to take an active role in the parts of their health they can influence, while recognising that the opportunities and barriers people face are not always the same.
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References:
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2026a). Australia’s health 2026. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/australias-health-2026
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2026b). Overweight and obesity. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/overweight-obesity/overweight-and-obesity
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2026c). Social determinants of health. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/social-determinants-of-health
Ryan et al. (2023). Weight stigma experienced by patients with obesity in healthcare settings: A qualitative evidence synthesis. Obesity Reviews, 24(10), e13606. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13606
