How healthy are Australian women?

By Bio Island Nutrition Team

Australia is known for its beautiful summers and laid-back lifestyle. But how much of that is true today. We are seeing an increase in health problems, that are related to people’s lifestyle habits and demands to provide. Australian women over all are very good at self-assessing and knowing when its time to see a doctor. But what are the results saying about the health status of women within this country.

• 3 in 5 Australian females rated their health as excellent or very good.
• 1 in 2 Australian women aged 18-64 get enough exercise.
• 6 in 10 women are overweight or obese
• 14% of Australian girls aged 14yrs and older had used an illicit drug
• 1 in 2 females have a chronic disease
• 1 in 2 females have experiences a mental health problem
• 9 in 10 women visited a GP in the past 12 months
• Breast cancer is still one of the top cancers associated with Australian women
• 1 in 3 women report not getting time to themselves on a weekly basis

Work Life Balance:

In 1948 the Commonwealth Arbitration Court gave official rise to the 40-hour, five day working week in Australia. But as years and expectations of social ladders have evolved the standard working week does not exist anymore. With a majority of those working, are putting in overtime to try and manage workload and wage. Australian women, in particular, have an average of only 3-4 hours leisure time. As they are generally working a full or part time job and coming home to housework and caring for a family. With this level of demand Australian women are generally dealing with higher levels of mental health problems such as anxiety, stress and depression. Total time spent working by women paid and unpaid significantly exceeds Australian men, regardless of whether the woman is earning more, less or the same. With these statistics in combination of work life balance, Australian women are dealing with higher levels of constant demand resulting in poorer mental health.

Overweight and Obesity:

Obesity is a major risk for several health reasons. Some include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers and musculoskeletal conditions. Recent Australian health survey’s have indicated that most of the food groups are not being met and discretionary food is first choice for most, as its easier, cheaper and faster. Australian women have reported that they do not have time to prepare or eat a healthy meal or foods. Even stating that they are not motivated to eat a healthy diet and due to the above mention of hours used on work and family needs they did not see the time in preparing a healthy meal. These mind sets and patterns are increasing the rate that we are seeing more overweight or obese women. Therefore, putting a ripple effect onto healthcare systems and cost.

Mental Health:

Half of women will state that they have experienced or are dealing with some form of mental health issue. Mental health can range from anxiety, depression, lack of focus and or stress. Feelings of irritation and lack of sleep due to worry and family commitments were some items listed by health surveys that women found clouded their minds the most. Most women do seek help, speaking to a friend, family member or doctor about how they are feeling was a key point. Australian women are aware of their health status and are more willing to seek help but managing afterwards is where there was a break down in communication and compliance.

Unfortunately, the results and statistics are showing a very clear picture in how healthy Australian women are. With more information and availability of help at our fingertips we will hopefully see a shift in attitudes and the way women approach family time versus self-time and finding a balance. Promoting a healthier way of life and encourage a time out approach will potentially show a drop in mental health issues and allow more time for women to give back to themselves.