The Shoalhaven has the highest obesity and overweight rate on the South Coast according to data released last week.
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Comparing the Shoalhaven to Bega Valley, Eurobadalla and Kiama, Nowra and Ulladulla have the highest rate of obese and overweight people in the Local Government Area (LGA) at 67.5 per cent.
The data was released by the Mitchell institute at Victoria University ahead of World Obesity Day, which was last Friday.
The same data reported 69.2 per cent of people in the Shoalhaven did little to no exercise in the week before the statistics were collected.
Professor Rosemary Calder from the Mitchell Institute believes action is needed to focus prevention strategies in disadvantaged communities, adding wealthier suburbs in metropolitan areas have a lower obesity rate because they are well serviced by public transport and bike paths and healthier food.
"[These places] are relatively close to where people work which enables people to be physically active in their commute to work rather than rely on the car," she said.
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"They have a greater density of shops selling fresh fruit and veg, greater competition promoting lower prices for healthy foods and fewer fast food outlets."
The other LGAs on the south coast have similar numbers to the Shoalhaven, despite being lower. Bega Valley have the next highest rate of obesity and overweight people at 63.1, Eurobodalla is not far behind with 62.1 per cent of people and Kiama has the smallest rate at 58.4 per cent of people categorised as overweight or obese.
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Professor Calder said local governments need to be doing more.
"Local governments are critical to local planning and the creation of health and active spaces for their residents. However, they are often hampered by lack of funding and regulatory power," she said.
The data shows the national obesity rate has risen 27 per cent over the past 10 years, and two thirds of Australians are overweight or obese.
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Grace Ryan
Deputy Editor at the Central Western Daily, Orange. You'll mostly find me tinkering in social media and newsletters. Working hard to get our stories in front of your eyes.
Deputy Editor at the Central Western Daily, Orange. You'll mostly find me tinkering in social media and newsletters. Working hard to get our stories in front of your eyes.
