The ABS today released its National Health Survey for 2014-15, which revealed that rates of daily smoking have continued to drop, with 14.5% (2.6 million) of adults smoking in 2014-15 compared with 16.1% in 2011-12 and 22.4% in 2001. Smoking rates for young adults (18-44 years) have also decreased to 16.3% in 2014-15 from 28.2% in 2001.
The percentage of adults consuming more than the recommended two standard drinks per day on average (exceeding the National Health and Medical Research Council lifetime risk guidelines) also fell to 17.4% of adults in 2014-15, down from 19.5% in 2011-12.
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However, rates of obesity continue to rise, with 63.4% of Australian adults classified as either overweight or obese (11.2 million people) in 2014-15, up from 62.8% in 2011-12 and 56.3% in 1995. Around one in four (27.4%) children aged 5-17 years were overweight or obese in 2014-15, up from 25.7% in 2011-12.
However, the data above is based on the highly flawed “Body Mass Index” (BMI), which is useless on an individual level (resulting in low fat, muscular people being deemed overweight). Accordingly, the ABS has also measured waist circumference which stabilised in 2014-15:
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Between 2007-08 and 2011-12 the proportions of men and women at increased risk rose, from 55.4% to 59.6% respectively for men, and 63.8% to 66.3% respectively for women. However, between 2011-12 and 2014-15 the proportions have remained stable.
Nevertheless, the average waist circumference in Australia remains well above healthy levels:
In 2014-15 the average waist measurement for men aged 18 years and over was 97.5cm, while for women of the same age it was 87.5cm. Both averages are considerably above the measurements indicating increased risk (94cm and 80cm respectively), particularly for women.
More than half (58.8%) of all men aged 18 years and over had a waist circumference that put them at an increased risk of developing chronic diseases, while two in three (65.4%) women had an increased level of risk.
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Meanwhile, Australians on average continued to eat too few vegetables in 2014-15:
In 2014-15, 49.8% of Australians aged 18 years and over met the guidelines for recommended daily serves of fruit (2 or more serves), while 7.0% met the guidelines for serves of vegetables (5-6 or more serves for men depending on age, and 5 or more for women). Only one in twenty (5.1%) adults met both guidelines. These rates were similar to 2011-12 (48.5%, 6.1% and 4.2% respectively).
Not surprisingly, given the rising levels of obesity and low vegetable consumption (and likely too many refined carbs), rates of type 2 diabetes have also soared in Australia:
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In 2014-15, 5.1% of the Australian population (1.2 million people) had some type of diabetes, an increase from 4.5% in 2011-12.
One million people (4.4%) had Type 2 diabetes in 2014-15, up from 840,000 people (3.8%) in 2011-12. A further 158,900 people (0.7%) had Type 1 diabetes in 2014-15, up from 113,400 people in 2011-12 (0.5%).
More males (5.7%) had diabetes than females (4.6%) in 2014-15, and, as with many health conditions, the rate of diabetes increased with age. Of people aged 75 years and over, almost one in five (18.4%) had diabetes in 2014-15.
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness.
Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.
