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The development of obesity is directly related to the level of education
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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The more educated Australians are, the less likely they are to become obese, according to a new study by doctors at the Melbourne Heart and Diabetes Institute.
According to the authors of the study, by 2025 the number of Australians suffering from obesity will increase sharply. But this problem will affect people with a general secondary education to the greatest extent. If 23% of people in this group suffer from obesity now, then in 13 years their number will increase to 44%. Currently, 20% of Australians who graduated from college and received secondary specialized education are excessively obese. By 2025, their number will increase to 39%. Finally, 14% of Australians with a university education suffer from obesity today. In 13 years, their number will increase to 30%.
"Obesity is a serious problem for all social groups," said study co-author Katherine Backholer. "But we have shown that less educated people who grew up in poor areas tend to have more weight-related health problems than their wealthier, more educated peers."
One of the most common ways to check whether a person's weight poses a health risk is to calculate the so-called body mass index (BMI) - the ratio of body weight in kilograms to the square of height in meters. If an adult's BMI exceeds 29.9, the person is considered to be obese.