Obesity, diet and physical activity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
About three in 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children live with overweight or obesity. Few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children meet Australian dietary recommendations for intake of healthy foods. Children living in remote areas have higher levels of physical activity than those living in non-remote areas.
Key Evidence
Almost one in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–17 were living with overweight (19.9%), and a further 9.8% were living with obesity in 2022–23
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls were more likely to live with overweight or obesity than boys in 2022–23
In 2023, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children obtained 40% of their daily energy from discretionary food and drinks
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5–17 years who volunteered to have their level of physical activity measured spent an average of four hours and 37 minutes a day being active in 2023
Overweight and obesity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by age and sex
In 2022–23, 29.9% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–17 were living with overweight or obesity. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was highest in boys aged 5–11 (37.8%), and in girls aged 12–17 (38.7%).1
Intake of core foods
Core foods are foods that provide essential nutrients for good health. The Australian Dietary Guidelines identify five core food groups – vegetables and legumes/beans, fruit, grains, lean meats and other lean sources of protein, and dairy products.2
Fruit and vegetable intake
Few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children met dietary recommendations for intake of fruit and vegetables in 2022–23. Usual daily consumption of fruit and vegetables varied by age group, with younger children being more likely to consume fruit and vegetables according to recommended guidelines than older children.3
Daily fruit and vegetable consumption by sex, age and remoteness, children aged 2–17, 2022-23
Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey 2024. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples/national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health-survey/latest-release
National Health and Medical Research Council's 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend a minimum number of serves of fruit and vegetables each day, depending on a person's age and sex. Total includes 'Unable to determine' whether met guidelines.
| Consumption | Total males | Total females | 2–4 | 5–11 | 12–17 | Total 2–17 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Met recommended fruit guideline | 60.1 | 64.3 | 91.5 | 65.5 | 43.2 | 62 |
| Met recommended vegetable guideline | 4.8 | 6.1 | 11.4 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 5.2 |
| Met recommended fruit and vegetable guidelines | 4.4 | 5.4 | 10.8 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 4.8 |
Discretionary food intake
Discretionary foods are high in energy, saturated fat, added sugar or salt, and are usually low in essential nutrients. They commonly include biscuits, confectionery, sweet and savoury pastries, processed meats and sausages, salty snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and alcoholic beverages.4
Percentage of daily energy intake from discretionary food and drinks
In 2023, 40.1% of daily energy intake in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–17 came from discretionary food and drinks.
Older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 12–17 obtained a slightly higher proportion of their daily energy from discretionary foods and drinks (41.3%) than children aged 2–11 (39.3%).5
Average intake of free sugars
Free sugars include sugars added to food during processing and preparation, as well as those that occur naturally in fruit and vegetable juices, syrups and honey. Sugars found in unrefined foods, such as whole fruits, vegetables or unflavoured dairy products, are not free sugars.6
Consuming too many free sugars is associated with poor diets, tooth decay, overweight and obesity, and increased risk of chronic diseases like cancer.6
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting energy from free sugars to less than 10% of daily energy intake. For even greater health benefits, the WHO recommends limiting daily free sugar intake to less than 5% of daily energy intake.7
In 2023, average levels of free sugars consumed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–17 accounted for 12.2% of their daily energy intake, higher than WHO guidelines. Girls (13.2%) obtained a higher percentage of energy from free sugars than boys (11.2%).5
The proportion of energy gained from free sugars in children aged 2–17 has declined from 14.1% in 2012–13 to 12.2% in 2023. This has mainly been due to a drop in consumption among older boys from 16.2% to 12.2%.5
Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption
Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are non-alcoholic drinks including soft drinks, fruit drinks, cordials, sports drinks and energy drinks that are sweetened with sugar, rather than artificial sweeteners. In 2023, more than one in four (41.8%) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–17 consumed SSBs.5 Prevalence of drinking SSBs increased with age, more than doubling from 28.6% of 5–11-year-olds to 61.6% of children aged 12–17.5 Overall prevalence of drinking SSBs among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 2–17 has declined since 2012–13. This is due to a drop in the prevalence of consumption in younger age groups. Prevalence in children aged 12–17 has remained stable.5
Physical activity
In 2023, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5–17 years who volunteered to wear an accelerometer (which detects changes in speed) spent an average of four hours and 37 minutes a day being active. Of this, nine minutes were spent in vigorous activity (such as running). Children were inactive (excluding sleep) for an average of 10 hours and 51 minutes per day.5
On average, males had higher daily levels of moderate or vigorous physical activity than females. Younger children (aged 5–11) did twice the amount of moderate or vigorous activity as older children (12–17), and children living in remote areas spent more time in light, moderate or vigorous activity than those living in non-remote areas.5
Average daily physical activity by age, sex and remoteness, children aged 2–17, 2023
Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2025. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples/national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-nutrition-and-physical-activity-survey/2023
Non-remote areas refers to the Major Cities, Inner Regional and Outer Regional Remoteness Areas combined. Remote areas refer to the Remote and Very Remote Remoteness Areas combined. For more information see Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 – Remoteness Structure, July 2021 to June 2026. Persons who voluntarily wore an accelerometer and met the minimum wear threshold.
| Average daily physical activity | Age 5-11 | Age 12-17 | Males | Females | Non-Remote | Remote | Total 5-17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily inactivity (hours:mins) | 10:18 | 11:38 | 10:51 | 10:51 | 10:54 | 10:10 | 10:51 |
| Average daily light physical activity (hours:min) | 3:30 | 3:36 | 3:24 | 3:41 | 3:30 | 4:02 | 3:32 |
| Average daily moderate and vigorous physical activity (hours:min) | 1:22 | 0:40 | 1:18 | 0:51 | 1:02 | 1:33 | 1:05 |
Earlier, self-reported data show that in 2012–13, almost half (47.7%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5–17 years living in non-remote areas met the recommendation current at the time of 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day.8
In remote areas, 81.7% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5–17 years did more than the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity on the day prior to interview in 2012–13, 14.2% did less than 60 minutes and 4.1% did no physical activity.8
Initial content for this page was written by Melanie Nichols, Deakin University and reviewed by Kathryn Backholer and Gary Sacks, Co-Directors at the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition at Deakin University. Data updates were made in 2026 by Obesity Evidence Hub staff. For more information about the approach to content on the site please see About | Obesity Evidence Hub.