Almost one-in-three Australian adults is living with obesity that either has a tangible effect on their health (‘clinical obesity’) or places them at high risk of future disease (‘pre-clinical obesity’), according to a new nationally representative survey.
Importantly, three-quarters (78 per cent) of these people recognise that losing weight is the most important thing they can do for their overall health.
Released on World Obesity Day, the survey of more than 1,000 Australian adults who fit new international diagnostic criteria for clinical or pre-clinical obesity published in January 2025, found that 87 per cent of respondents are currently trying to lose weight. The average weight of respondents was 109kg, and they seek to lose an average of 23 per cent of their body weight.
The research sample of 1,037 Australians was identified from a nationally representative sample of 3,346 adults, indicating that 30 per cent of Australians are living with clinical or pre-clinical obesity.
The survey by Metis Healthcare Research also revealed that most respondents (89 per cent) had previously tried to lose weight, including 61 per cent who have attempted this at least three times. A further 18 per cent say they are “always trying to lose weight”.1
An overwhelming majority (86 per cent) of the Australians surveyed admit to having lost weight in the past, only to regain it with one-in-five saying they gained more weight than they lost.
The survey also reveals an evolving understanding among Australians about the factors that influence weight loss, with more than three-quarters (78 per cent) of respondents agreeing that “losing weight is more complex than simply eating less and exercising more.”
Commenting on the survey findings, Dr Teresa Girolamo, obesity specialist and co-founder of the Re:You Health Weight Management Clinic in Adelaide said, “For too long, we have oversimplified the relationship between lifestyle choices and excess weight”.
“It is encouraging that community understanding of the complexities of weight management is on the rise, but we still have a long way to go,” she said.
“We know that factors beyond an individual’s control – including brain signals, changes in metabolism, hormones, fat storage and energy expenditure – can cause biological resistance to weight loss. Simply put, this is when the body fights back to counter weight loss.”
There is a growing body of research which shows that when a person maintains a certain weight for a long time, their body can resist change.
“We call this the body’s ‘set point’ or the weight your body likes to maintain,” explained Dr Girolamo.
“This means that when you start to lose weight, your body fights back by burning fewer calories or increasing fat storage so your efforts to shed further weight become less effective over time,” she said.
“Additionally, the body may generate a hormonal response to make you feel less full once you’ve eaten and feel hungry more often.”
“Biological resistance to weight loss often leaves people feeling stuck in a cycle of weight loss and regain, as the results of the survey demonstrate.”
When asked how they are trying to lose weight, most respondents said, “increasing my level of exercise” (69 per cent) and “making changes to my diet” (57 per cent). One-in-five are trying to lose weight through medical interventions, including prescription medicine (16 per cent) and surgical procedures (5 per cent).
“Exercise and a healthy diet are the foundation of any good weight loss regimen – but for many people this is not enough. I encourage anyone trying to lose weight for health reasons to seek the advice of a doctor on the best approach to losing weight and keeping it off over the long-term,” Dr Girolamo said.
SOURCE: Metis Healthcare Research
