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In 2022, the proportion of people in Australia who were obese by age group peaked at **** percent for people 55 to 64 years old. Children had a much lower likelihood of being obese, but there is a clear increase in obesity rates with age. 

Recommended serves of food groups

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend the number of serves from each of the five food groups; vegetables, fruit, grains, meat and protein, and dairy. Around half of Australian adults eat the recommended daily serves of fruit, however, the vast majority are not consuming the recommended * to * servings of vegetables a day. Furthermore, Australian’s appear to consume significantly less dairy than is recommended, with less than * estimated average serves per capita, compared to the recommended *** serves for adult men and over *** for adolescents and older women.

 Diet related illness

Chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease have been linked to poor diet and obesity. Over * Australians are diabetic and type 2 diabetes accounts for around *** in **** men over the age of **. Affecting around **** percent of the population, heart disease is only slightly less prevalent than diabetes. While a poor diet is one significant risk factor for these illnesses, smoking, being overweight, and lack of exercise can also contribute to increasing the risk of developing a chronic disease.