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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Natasha May Health reporter

Being overweight now top risk to Australians’ health as smoking rates decline, data shows

Australia Smoking Disease Terry Slevin Tobacco
Caregiver hands, home and blood pressure test for healthcare service, support and nurse for medical monitor. Doctor with patient arm and helping with diabetes or hypertension exam on sofa and machine
The chief executive of the Public Health Association of Australia, Terry Slevin, says while a third of the causes of burdens of disease are preventable, only one 50th of the government’s health funding is directed towards public and preventive health’s efforts to keep people healthier. Photograph: Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images

Being overweight has overtaken tobacco smoking as the leading risk factor contributing to disease in 2024, new government data shows.

The Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024, released on Thursday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, estimates that Australians lost 5.8m years of healthy life due to living with illness and injury, or dying prematurely. This loss of healthy life is called the “burden of disease”.

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