Resources & Research
Why
this work
matters
84% of Australia’s total disease burden is now due to chronic conditions.
That represents approximately 4.9 million healthy years of life lost in 2024 alone.
And many of the risk factors contributing to chronic disease are things we have some capacity to influence.
67% of Australian adults are living with overweight or obesity — approximately 13.2 million people.
39% of Australian adults have hypertension — approximately 7.2 million people.
When we look specifically at cardiovascular disease, 65% of the disease burden was attributable to the risk factors examined by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, including high blood pressure, dietary risks, high cholesterol, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and tobacco use.
For coronary heart disease, the figure is even higher: 87% of the disease burden was attributable to the combined risk factors examined.
These numbers are part of why I do this work.
Health is complex. Our biology, environment, socioeconomic circumstances, age and access to healthcare all matter. But there are also parts of our health that we can influence.
My work focuses on those parts.
I help people understand the physical, emotional and behavioural patterns affecting their health - and build the skills, knowledge and mindset to make sustainable changes in the areas they can control.
Because better health isn't simply about knowing what to do. It's about being able to actually do it.
Sources: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024 and Australia’s Health 2026.
AIHW — Chronic conditions and disease burden
AIHW — Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024: Key findings
AIHW — Cardiovascular disease burden and risk factors
AIHW — Biomedical risk factors
AIHW — Australia’s Health 2026: Key findings