The Darling Downs has the fattest population in Australia and four other Queensland regions are not far behind, according to a new report.
The National Heart Foundation has released new statistics on obesity and physical inactivity in the nation, and for Queensland it is a case of what the report said is a rising CPI — Couch Potato Index.
Queensland and South Australia share the gong for the most out of shape — 30 per cent of the population in those states are obese, and 60 per cent do not do enough physical activity.
The Darling Downs-Maranoa region, west of Brisbane, is the fattest in the nation.
The region has an obesity rate of 44 per cent, and 75 per cent of the population does not do enough physical activity to be healthy.
Ipswich is the fourth fattest in the nation, with Mackay 5th, Fitzroy 8th and Toowoomba 10th.
The Heart Foundation’s Rachelle Foreman said Queenslanders need to change their lifestyle.
She said 37 per cent of their diet is made up of discretionary food which is high in kilojoules, fat and sugar with no nutritional value.
“The image of a ‘typical Queenslander’ is often of a fit, active, outdoor person but these statistics are painting a very different picture, particularly in regional areas,” she said.
“In fact, we are largely a state of couch dwellers.
“We are creating bodies that are breeding grounds for heart disease.”
Ms Foreman said Queenslanders are getting heavier because unhealthy lifestyles are socially contagious.
Metropolitan areas across the country have much lower rates of obesity and higher levels of activity, including Brisbane.
A quarter of Brisbane residents are considered obese.
“If you look at your own values and your norms they reflect the people that you surround yourself with,” she said.
The Heart Foundation is also calling on the Federal Government to implement a national Physical Activity Action Plan and for the Queensland Government to follow suit at a state level.