Obesity, diet and physical activity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults
A higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults live with overweight or obesity, compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Similar to the rest of the Australian population, few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people meet dietary recommendations for intake of healthy foods or physical activity.
Key Evidence
76.8% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults were living with overweight or obesity in 2018–19, compared to 66.3% of non-Indigenous adults in Australia (age-standardised)
49.1% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were living with obesity, compared to 29.2% of non-Indigenous women (age-standardised) in 2018–19
42.4% of total daily energy intake for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 19 to 30-year-olds was from discretionary foods in 2011–13
8.7% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women aged 18–24 in non-remote areas were meeting physical activity guidelines in 2018–19
Overweight and obesity among Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults
In 2018–19, more than three-quarters (76.8%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18 years and over had either overweight (29.6%) or obesity (47.2%), when standardised for age to reflect differences in the age structure of the population.1
Overweight and obesity among Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults by gender
In 2018–19, a similar proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and non-Indigenous women lived with overweight, but a higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were living with obesity.1 When compared to non-Indigenous men, fewer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men were living with overweight, but more had obesity.Diet
Few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults met dietary recommendations for intake of fruit and vegetables in 2018–19 and most younger adults consumed sugar-sweetened beverages at least weekly.1 Figures from 2011–13 show that a high percentage of daily energy intake was from discretionary food.3
Fruit and vegetable consumption by serve and age group
In 2018–19, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults’ usual daily consumption of fruit and vegetables varied by age group.1
Fruit and vegetable consumption by serve and age group
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2020). 4715.0 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, Australia, 2018–19. Canberra, Australia. Table 16.3
National Health and Medical Research Council's 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend a minimum number of serves of fruit and vegetables each day, depending on a person's age and sex, to ensure good nutrition and health.
| Serves | 18–24 years | 25–34 years | 35–44 years | 45–54 years | 55+ years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||||
| Less than 1 serve | 30.7 | 28.2 | 34.1 | 35.0 | 28.9 |
| 1 serve | 27.7 | 34.7 | 30.8 | 32.3 | 26.2 |
| 2 serves | 23.1 | 24.1 | 23.7 | 21.0 | 25.4 |
| 3 serves | 12.9 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 6.5 | 11.4 |
| 4 serves | 2.0 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 5.0 |
| 5+ serves | 2.4 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Vegetables | |||||
| Less than 1 serve | 20.6 | 14.8 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 14.2 |
| 1 serve | 31.5 | 28.1 | 28.0 | 32.6 | 26.8 |
| 2 serves | 24.6 | 26.8 | 26.6 | 23.7 | 23.3 |
| 3 serves | 12.1 | 15.6 | 16.8 | 18.2 | 18.8 |
| 4 serves | 7.2 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 5.9 | 9.0 |
| 5+ serves | 4.8 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 6.4 | 7.3 |
Adequate daily fruit and vegetable consumption by age group
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2020). 4715.0 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, Australia, 2018–19. Canberra, Australia. Table 16.3
National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend a minimum number of serves of fruit and vegetables each day, depending on a person's age and sex, to ensure good nutrition and health.
| Consumption | 18–24 years | 25–34 years | 35–44 years | 45–54 years | 55+years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adequate daily fruit consumption | 41.6 | 37.0 | 35.0 | 32.5 | 44.5 |
| Adequate daily vegetable consumption | 2.5 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 5.3 |
| Adequate daily fruit and daily vegetable consumption | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 3.7 |
| Inadequate daily fruit and vegetable consumption | 98.2 | 98.5 | 97.4 | 97.1 | 96.0 |
Percentage of total daily energy intake from discretionary food
Discretionary food made a greater contribution to the total energy intake of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, compared to non-Indigenous adults in 2011–13.3 Discretionary foods are high in energy but low in nutrients and are not needed to meet nutrient requirements.
Proportion of energy from added sugars
Intake of added sugars was higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults than non-Indigenous Australians in 2011–13.3 Added sugars are those added to foods by manufacturers or consumers, excluding those naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices. The World Health Organization recommends limiting energy from free sugars to less than 10% of daily energy intake.4 Note that the WHO recommendation relates to ‘free sugars’, which is a broader category including those naturally present, and total intakes of free sugars are likely to be higher than implied by the ‘added sugar’ data provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Physical activity
In 2018–19, 13.2% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and 10.1% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women living in non-remote areas met the guidelines for sufficient physical activity. In remote areas, more than half of adults did more than 30 minutes of physical activity on the day prior to interview in 2012–13, while around one in five had not done any physical activity.
Physical activity in non-remote areas
Few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults living in non-remote areas met physical activity guidelines in 2018–19.1
Physical activity in non-remote areas
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2020). 4715.0 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, Australia, 2018–19. Canberra, Australia. Table 21.3
For 18 to 64-year-olds, sufficient physical activity is defined as 150 minutes from five or more sessions per week using walking for fitness/transport, moderate and/or vigorous physical activity, with strength or toning activities on at least two days.
| Activity | 18–24 years | 25–34 years | 35–44 years | 45–54 years | 55+ years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | |||||
| Met guidelines | 15.4 | 15.5 | 10.5 | 11.4 | 13.3 |
| Did not meet guidelines | 85.7 | 84.9 | 89.2 | 90.6 | 86.7 |
| Women | |||||
| Met guidelines | 8.7 | 10.3 | 8.1 | 12.0 | 9.9 |
| Did not meet guidelines | 89.9 | 89.7 | 92.5 | 86.8 | 90.8 |
Physical activity in remote areas
In remote areas, 55.1% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults did more than 30 minutes of physical activity on the previous day, when surveyed in 2012–13. One in five (20.9%) did not participate in any physical activity on the day prior to interview, and one in five (20.2%) did less than 30 minutes of physical activity.5
Physical activity in remote areas
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4727.0.55.004 - Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2012-13. 2014.
Content for this page was written by Melanie Nichols, Deakin University and reviewed by Kathryn Backholer and Gary Sacks, Co-Directors at the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition at Deakin University. For more information about the approach to content on the site please see About | Obesity Evidence Hub.