Over 66.7 percent of adults in Tamworth are fat, a recent health report says. The report, which was published by the Public Health Information Development Unit at Torrens University in Adelaide, was made to study the health risks that Australians face.
Based on the report, Western Australia has the highest obesity rating while those living in Perth's Southern borders have the worst health in the state. Health risk factors such as smoking, heart, stroke, and vascular disease rate were also included in the report.
Tamworth, a city in the northeast New South Wales has the highest rate of obesity. The data shows that 61 percent of its adult population are obese.
Australia, on the other hand, has a 31.3 percent obesity rate. This means that the country's obesity rate nearly doubled (from 18.7 to 31.3 percent) over the course of 25 years.
Western Australia also has the highest number of overweight adults. It showed that 36.9 percent of its population has a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher.
Overall, 66.7 percent or two-thirds of Western Australia are either overweight or obese. The report also shows that Australian men are more likely to be overweight than women. Almost 70 percent of men are either overweight or obese compared to 60 percent of overweight or obese women.
According to the report, the rate of obese and overweight population is linked to its economic status. The poorer the area, the higher its obesity rate.
Towns like Tamworth West, Bridgewater, Davoren Park, and Melton West are among the regions with the highest obesity or overweight rates. Tamworth, for example, has a low average income and a high unemployment rate.
Almost 77 percent of the town's population do 'little to no exercise' and 30 percent of its population smoke. Only 23 percent of its residents do exercises and consume enough fruits and vegetables.
John Glover, a professor at the Torrens University suggested that the huge difference between the health of Australia's poor and wealthy areas should be considered as a wake-up call. He also urges lawmakers, health agencies, and health providers to address the health risks that Australian's face.
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