Active Body, Healthy Mind
The average weight of Australians is increasing. Factors such as sedentary lifestyles, reduced exercise, changing job roles, processed foods and time pressures, mean that many Australian are gaining increased weight that is putting significant pressure on their health and wellbeing.
Key contributing factors to maintaining a healthy weight are diet and exercise. Selecting healthy options in your diet can be challenging, especially when messaging around healthy options can be confusing and difficult to understand. To simplify understanding around food choices, we have developed some useful tools that help you consider your food and drink options when it comes to healthier choices. Designed as magnets that can be applied to your site fridges, these magnets have been developed in conjunction with a dietitian to give you an insight into ways you can reduce your Kilojoule intake and the associated exercise time associated with your food and drink choices.
This information has been provided as a guide to help you consider your food and drink choices. The data has been calculated on a 90kg male with a daily kilojoule estimate of 9,500kj and a 70kg female with a daily kilojoule allowance of 7,400kj.
Videos
BMI Calculator
Body mass index, or BMI, is used to determine whether you are in a healthy weight range for your height.
It is useful to consider BMI alongside waist circumference, as waist measurement helps to assess risk by measuring the amount of fat carried around your middle.
What's BMI?
BMI compares your weight to your height, and is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in metres squared). It gives you an idea of whether you’re 'underweight', a 'healthy' weight, 'overweight', or 'obese' for your height. BMI is one type of tool to help health professionals assess the risk for chronic disease. Another important tool is waist circumference.
You are underweight for your height. It's important to aim to keep within your healthy weight range. Being in the healthy weight range will improve your body's ability to fight off infection or illness.
But we recommend that you also check your waist measurement.
For individualised medical and dietary advice consult your doctor and/or an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
Waist measurement
Waist circumference is a simple check to tell if you are carrying excess body fat around your middle.
Where your fat is on your body can be an important sign of your risk of developing ongoing health problems. Carrying excess body fat around your middle is more of a health risk than if weight is on your hips and thighs.
Regardless of your height or build, for most adults a waist measurement of greater than 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women is an indicator of the level of internal fat deposits which coat the heart, kidneys, liver, digestive organs and pancreas. This can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Waist measurement helps to assess risk by measuring the amount of fat carried around your middle. It can be used along with measuring your body mass index (BMI). Together, these tools give an indication of your risk linked with excess body fat.
Check your waist measurement below, and if you think you’re at risk, talk to your doctor or dietitian about what you can do.
How to measure your waist
- Find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs.
- Breathe out normally.
- Place the tape measure midway between these points and wrap it around your waist.
- Check your measurement.
Measurements
For men, your health is at risk if your waist size is over 94cm. For women, your health is at risk if your waist size is over 80cm.
These guidelines are based on World Health Organization and National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations.
Who the measurements apply to
Waist circumference is less accurate in some situations, including pregnancy, medical conditions where there is distension of the abdomen, and for certain groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, South Asian, Chinese and Japanese adults. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Waist measurements should only be used for adults to check their risk of developing a chronic disease.
The findings of this tool have been sourced from The Heart Foundation, for more information on The Heart Foundation and to access a range of tools that can provide you with further information click here.
You are a healthy weight for your height. But we recommend that you also check your waist measurement.
Aim to keep within the healthy weight range by enjoying a healthy, well-balanced diet and exercising regularly. Most adults should get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days.
For older Australians, your general health may be more important than being mildly overweight. Some researchers have suggested that a BMI range of 22-26 is acceptable for older Australians over 70 years old.
For individualised medical and dietary advice consult your doctor and/or an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
Waist measurement
Waist circumference is a simple check to tell if you are carrying excess body fat around your middle.
Where your fat is on your body can be an important sign of your risk of developing ongoing health problems. Carrying excess body fat around your middle is more of a health risk than if weight is on your hips and thighs.
Regardless of your height or build, for most adults a waist measurement of greater than 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women is an indicator of the level of internal fat deposits which coat the heart, kidneys, liver, digestive organs and pancreas. This can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Waist measurement helps to assess risk by measuring the amount of fat carried around your middle. It can be used along with measuring your body mass index (BMI). Together, these tools give an indication of your risk linked with excess body fat.
Check your waist measurement below, and if you think you’re at risk, talk to your doctor or dietitian about what you can do.
How to measure your waist
- Find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs.
- Breathe out normally.
- Place the tape measure midway between these points and wrap it around your waist.
- Check your measurement.
Measurements
For men, your health is at risk if your waist size is over 94cm. For women, your health is at risk if your waist size is over 80cm.
These guidelines are based on World Health Organization and National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations.
Who the measurements apply to
Waist circumference is less accurate in some situations, including pregnancy, medical conditions where there is distension of the abdomen, and for certain groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, South Asian, Chinese and Japanese adults. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Waist measurements should only be used for adults to check their risk of developing a chronic disease.
The findings of this tool have been sourced from The Heart Foundation, for more information on The Heart Foundation and to access a range of tools that can provide you with further information click here.
We also recommend you check your waist measurement.
Being overweight increases your risk of developing coronary heart disease, as well as other health conditions. Keeping to a healthy weight will help you control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active every day and enjoy a healthy, well-balanced diet.
For individualised medical and dietary advice consult your doctor and/or an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
Waist measurement
Waist circumference is a simple check to tell if you are carrying excess body fat around your middle.
Where your fat is on your body can be an important sign of your risk of developing ongoing health problems. Carrying excess body fat around your middle is more of a health risk than if weight is on your hips and thighs.
Regardless of your height or build, for most adults a waist measurement of greater than 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women is an indicator of the level of internal fat deposits which coat the heart, kidneys, liver, digestive organs and pancreas. This can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Waist measurement helps to assess risk by measuring the amount of fat carried around your middle. It can be used along with measuring your body mass index (BMI). Together, these tools give an indication of your risk linked with excess body fat.
Check your waist measurement below, and if you think you’re at risk, talk to your doctor or dietitian about what you can do.
How to measure your waist
- Find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs.
- Breathe out normally.
- Place the tape measure midway between these points and wrap it around your waist.
- Check your measurement.
Measurements
For men, your health is at risk if your waist size is over 94cm. For women, your health is at risk if your waist size is over 80cm.
These guidelines are based on World Health Organization and National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations.
Who the measurements apply to
Waist circumference is less accurate in some situations, including pregnancy, medical conditions where there is distension of the abdomen, and for certain groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, South Asian, Chinese and Japanese adults. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Waist measurements should only be used for adults to check their risk of developing a chronic disease.
The findings of this tool have been sourced from The Heart Foundation, for more information on The Heart Foundation and to access a range of tools that can provide you with further information click here.
We also recommend you check your waist measurement.
As your BMI increases so does your risk of developing coronary heart disease, as well as other heath conditions. It is important that you take steps to reduce your weight. The good news is that even losing small amounts of weight can benefit your health. To achieve and maintain a healthy weight be physically active every day and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that meets your energy needs.
For individualised medical and dietary advice consult your doctor and/or an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
Waist measurement
Waist circumference is a simple check to tell if you are carrying excess body fat around your middle.
Where your fat is on your body can be an important sign of your risk of developing ongoing health problems. Carrying excess body fat around your middle is more of a health risk than if weight is on your hips and thighs.
Regardless of your height or build, for most adults a waist measurement of greater than 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women is an indicator of the level of internal fat deposits which coat the heart, kidneys, liver, digestive organs and pancreas. This can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Waist measurement helps to assess risk by measuring the amount of fat carried around your middle. It can be used along with measuring your body mass index (BMI). Together, these tools give an indication of your risk linked with excess body fat.
Check your waist measurement below, and if you think you’re at risk, talk to your doctor or dietitian about what you can do.
How to measure your waist
- Find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs.
- Breathe out normally.
- Place the tape measure midway between these points and wrap it around your waist.
- Check your measurement.
Measurements
For men, your health is at risk if your waist size is over 94cm. For women, your health is at risk if your waist size is over 80cm.
These guidelines are based on World Health Organization and National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations.
Who the measurements apply to
Waist circumference is less accurate in some situations, including pregnancy, medical conditions where there is distension of the abdomen, and for certain groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, South Asian, Chinese and Japanese adults. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Waist measurements should only be used for adults to check their risk of developing a chronic disease.
The findings of this tool have been sourced from The Heart Foundation, for more information on The Heart Foundation and to access a range of tools that can provide you with further information click here.