Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and some cancers. Introduction It is estimated that 1.1 million adults are obese in New Zealand (that is, they have a BMI or Body Mass Index of 30 or more). Obesity in New Zealand places a considerable strain on the health care system: a...

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are more than three times as likely as non-Indigenous adults to have diabetes, and they experience it at much younger ages, according to the results of this health survey. Key findings This publication presents information from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Measures Survey. This survey is...

Australia's rate of incidence of insulin-treated diabetes has remained stable over the last decade, with between 10 and 12 new cases per 100,000 population per year. Summary Diabetes results in a large health and economic burden for individuals, families and communities. There were around 53,500 people in Australia who began using insulin to treat their...

This report examines the outcomes of a health literacy proof-of-concept trial, which looked at the potential for improving health literacy standards in the community via the integration of two existing broadband technologies. Executive summary This report examines the outcomes of a health literacy proof-of-concept trial held at the University of Melbourne. Despite the dramatic rise...

Factors influencing obesity are not confined to the health portfolio, argues this paper. Instead the factors occur across portfolios including housing, education, employment, social welfare and community development. Executive summary What is the problem? Obesity rates are higher among Indigenous, compared to non-Indigenous, Australians, and this problem begins in early childhood. If this trend of...