If every overweight or obese Australian lost three kilos they would together significantly reduce the burden of obesity in Australia, according to a new report.
Modelling conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimates a one point reduction in body mass index (BMI) among all 'at risk' Australians would reduce the burden by 14 per cent by 2020.
A loss of three kilos for a person of average height equates to a one point drop in BMI, a calculation used to estimate your total amount of body fat.
Just halting weight gain would reduce the burden by six per cent, the AIHW report says.
Obesity is a major public health issue in Australia, with cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and musculoskeletal conditions all linked to carrying excess weight.
Updated data included in the AIHW report released on Thursday shows obesity and overweight is Australia's second biggest risk factor for disease, accounting for seven per cent of the total health burden in Australia.
Tobacco accounts for nine per cent of the burden.
"But the gap between the two is closing as the burden of tobacco drops while the burden of overweight and obesity is increasing," warned AIHW spokesperson Dr Lynelle Moon.
Coronary heart disease as a result of obesity has the biggest health burden at 38 per cent, followed by selected cancers (19 per cent) and diabetes (17 per cent).
The burden of being overweight or obese is higher among men than women, and perhaps not surprisingly there are large inequalities across socio-economic groups.
"The lower socio-economic groups experienced a rate of burden which was around 2.3 times that of the highest group, and that disparity was seen in all 22 linked diseases and with the strongest gradients in diabetes, chronic kidney disease and coronary heart disease," Dr Moon told AAP.
The good news, says Dr Moon, is that the health of Australians can be turned around for the better.
"Overweight and obesity does have a big impact on the health of the population but the good news is that relatively small changes at a population level would result in big improvements to population health," Dr Moon said.
PROPORTION OF DISEASE DUE TO OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY:
* Diabetes - 53 per cent
* Hypertensive heart disease - 46 per cent
* Coronary heart disease - 25 per cent
* Stroke - 22 per cent
* Cancer (bowel, liver, breast, oesophageal) - 19 per cent
* Chronic Kidney Disease - 5.1 per cent
* Dementia - 2.7 per cent
