The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [[A-I-H-W]] released the analysis which focuses on two risk factors for disease. The first is being overweight, or obese, and the second physical inactivity.
Professor Kathryn Backholer is the co-director of the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition at Deakin University.
"We know now that overweight and obesity and physical inactivity now account for a greater proportion of the total health burden than tobacco does. So essentially if we can reduce overweight and obesity rates and we can increase physical activity rates it will have a major positive impact on the health of the Australian population by 2030."
According to the analysis, two actions could help reduce the disease burden and deaths associated with being overweight and inactive by 2030.
People at risk would need to reduce their body mass index [BMI] by one unit, which amounts to about 3 kilograms for Australians of average height.
An extra hour of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, would also need to be added each week.
At the moment, just 5 per cent of Australians eat the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables.
Professor Backholer agrees that the government needs to take a bigger role.
"At the end of the day people have to make decisions about how much they eat, how much physical activity they do, what kinds of foods they eat, but they can do that in two environments. They can do it in an environment that's geared towards profits of large transnational corporations or they can do that in an environment that's really set up by government to support healthy choices. And we know what kind of environment parents want, they want environments where their kids can grow up in a world where healthy choices are supported but at the moment that's not the case."
One suggested prevention policy measure comes from the Australian Medical Association.
In January [2023], it renewed a call for a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
