It looks like a picturesque farming town in Australia, but it is also home to a startling 74.5 per cent of adults who are insufficiently active.
Queensland’s Darling Downs is the nation’s most obese and physically inactive town, according to the Heart Foundation.
The statistics – drawn from ABS research and released on Monday – also show 57 per cent of adults around the country are physically inactive and 27.5 per cent of Australian adults are obese.
No Australian state was exempt from the alarming statistics while five towns in Queensland, two towns in South Australia and Victoria and one town in New South Wales were ranked in the top 10 obese and physically inactive towns.
Victoria’s Shepparton is Australia’s third highest, with 77.1 per cent of the township insufficiently active, and NSW’s Riverina came in seventh highest, with 33.2 per cent of the township suffering from obesity.
And the fittest area according to the research is Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, with less than 14 per cent of their residents suffering from obesity.
“Far from being the fit and active, outdoors type often portrayed this data shows us that nearly one third of Australians are obese and more than half are living sedentary lifestyles with little or no physical activity in their day,” said the Heart Foundation National CEO, Mary Barry in a statement.
“The truth is as a nation our waist lines are increasing while our physical activity time is decreasing.
“We are creating bodies that are breeding grounds for heart disease.”
The Heart Foundation are urging the Federal Government to introduce a national Physical Activity Action Plan and are campaigning for Aussies to ‘Move More, Sit Less’ during Heart Week from May 3 to 9.
“Physical inactivity is a leading contributor to the burden of chronic disease in Australia, with an estimated total cost to the health budget of $1.5 billion,” said Ms Barry.
“We believe having a nationally supported and funded plan will help communities and government to create environments that encourage regular activity.
“In the end if people make the simple decision to move more and sit less they will not only feel better but they will also add years onto their life.”
Here are the top 10 obese and physically inactive Australian towns.
**1. Darling Downs – Maranoa, QLD
**2. South Australian South East, SA
**3. Shepparton, VIC
**4. Ipswich, QLD
**5. Mackay, QLD
**6. South Australian Outback, SA
**7. Riverina, NSW
**8. Fitzroy, QLD
**9. Ballarat, VIC
**10. Toowoomba, QLD
For more information on heart disease or Heart Week go to the Heart Foundation’s website or call 1300 36 27 87
