Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated as weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of height (in metres).

For adults, healthy weight is defined as a BMI of greater than or equal to 18.5 and less than 25.0.

For children, healthy weight is defined as a 'normal' BMI (appropriate for age and sex), based on centile curves. See ABS National Health Survey: Users’ Guide Electronic Publication, 2007–08 (ABS Catalogue no. 4363.0.55.001) for BMI cutoff values for children.

Rates are directly age-standardised to the 2001 Australian population.

Excludes pregnant women where identified and people with an unknown BMI.

Presented as a percentage.

95% confidence intervals and relative standard errors calculated for rates.

100 × (Numerator ÷ Denominator)

Calculated separately for adults and children

Adults: Number of persons aged 18 years or over with a healthy body weight.

Children: Number of persons aged 5–17 years with a healthy body weight.

Adults: Population aged 18 years or over

Children: Population aged 5–17 years

State and territory.

Some disaggregation may result in numbers too small for publication.

Most recent data available for 2015 National Healthcare Agreement (NHA) performance reporting: 2011–12.

Baseline: 2007–08

NO NEW DATA FOR 2015 REPORTING.

2011–12 data are based on measured height and weight. BMI derived from measured height and weight is preferable to that derived from self-reported height and weight.

National Healthcare Agreement Performance Benchmark

By 2018, increase by five percentage points the proportion of Australian adults and Australian children at a healthy body weight, over the 2009 baseline.

Refer: http://www.federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/content/npa/healthcare/national-agreement.pdf

NPA on Preventive Health

15(a): Increase in proportion of children at unhealthy weight held at less than five per cent from baseline for each state by 2013; proportion of children at healthy weight returned to baseline levels by 2015.