Physical inactivity and insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption are key risk factors for obesity and lifestyle-related diseases. Results presented recently at the 6th Annual Conference of the International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity in Oslo, Norway, and soon to be published in the International Journal of Obesity reveal that 95 per cent of Australian adults are not meeting national physical activity and nutrition guidelines for health benefits.

They found that overweight perception may be another barrier to physical activity participation among men and women with excess body weight, and suggest that public health strategies need to focus on overcoming weight perception as well as weight status barriers to adopting healthy physical activity behaviours.

When analysed separately, investigators found that approximately 25 per cent of Australians met physical activity guidelines, and approximately 55 per cent and 15 per cent of Australians consumed sufficient fruit servings/day and vegetable servings/day, respectively. Investigators where also startled to discover that less than 5 per cent of Australians met both physical activity and diet guidelines.

Source: University of Sydney