Most Australians, 85% in fact, rate their health as “good”, “very good”, or “excellent”, yet a recent biennial report on the nation's health has revealed that 93% do not eat enough vegetables, almost half do not do enough exercise and the proportion of overweight and obese adults is increasing, reports the Guardian.
The findings come from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) report which was released by the health minister, Sussan Ley, on Tuesday 13 September.
The report found life expectancy rates were at a record high, with a boy born between 2012 and 2014 expected to live to 80.3 years and a girl to 84.4 years. But although they’re living longer, 50% of Australians are living with a chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes or a mental illness, while 25% are living with two or more chronic health conditions.
In 2014–15, 45% of adults aged between 18 and 64 were inactive or insufficiently active for health benefits. Meanwhile 93% of adults did not eat the recommended five daily serves of vegetables and 50% did not eat the recommended two daily serves of fruit. The proportion of overweight or obese adults also increased from 56% to 63% between 1995 and 2014–15, an average gain of 4.4kg for both men and women.
“Australians continue to put themselves at risk of developing lifestyle-related chronic illnesses that are generally associated with risk factors that we can do something about,” the report found.
“These risk factors include smoking, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and the harmful use of alcohol.”
