Obesity projected to rise in the future, new data finds

Obesity is the second biggest modifiable risk factor contributing to disease burden in Australia after tobacco and data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported that Tasmania had the highest rate of adults who were overweight or obese in Australia at 70.9 per cent.

The release of the data prompted the Australian Medical Association to continue its push for a sugar tax on sugary drinks, however, Professor of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Tasmania Andrew Hills said if a tax were introduced, it would need to be in combination with a number of other policy changes.

"It's the same with the nutrition space or the food industry space, there is absolutely every reason that we should consider opportunities to reduce the consumption of unnecessary sugar, salt and high fat," Professor Hills said.

"That alone is not the answer; by making a change like having a sugar tax in isolation is only tinkering around the edges of the problem.

"Hence my plea for policy makers to consider a combination of things that if done together would likely make a difference."

A spokesperson for the Health Department said Healthy Tasmania was the Tasmanian government's plan for preventive health in Tasmania.

"This plan includes two important focus areas to address obesity rates - active living and eating well," they said.

"These focus areas aim to create environments that support health and wellbeing and physical activity and promote the supply of affordable and nutritious food."

They said the National Obesity Strategy, which Tasmania had agreed to, supported three key ambitions including creating supportive, sustainable and healthy environments, empowering people to stay healthy and access to early intervention and care.

Professor Hills said the problem was more complex than it needed to be.

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"As a society we've tinkered around the edges for so long in terms of not investing and supporting the more vulnerable people in society that are more susceptible to weight gain," he said.

"We've forgotten to concentrate on many of the basics, and by that, I mean having people of all ages appreciate and understand the benefits associated with a regular engagement in physical activity."

He said irrespective of weight, everybody could benefit from increasing physical activity given most people were doing far less than was recommended in the physical activity guidelines.

Australian Medical Association president Stephen Robson said a tax on sugary drinks would be a step in the right direction.

"We know that frequent consumption of sugary drinks is associated with obesity and chronic disease," Dr Robson said.

"A tax of 40 cents on every 100 grams of sugar added to soft drinks would raise the cost of a 375 ml can of soft drink by just 16 cents."

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