Life expectancy at birth:
• 1-2 years less than the Australian average for the last 20 years (1986-2006). This is the second lowest in Australia and the gap is expected to widen in the future.
• Men: 77.4 years
• Women: 82.3 years
Diabetes:
• Death from diabetes within 10 years has quadrupled for men and nearly doubled for women.
• The prevalence of Diabetes has increased by 70% from 1995-2005.
• 75% of people with Diabetes will die from heart disease.
• Diabetes is predicted to be the leading cause of disease in Australia by 2023.
• Diabetes can cause; heart disease, renal disease, nerve damage, circulation damage and eyesight problems.
Top Ten cause of diseases of Death in Tasmania 2001-2005
Cancer 28.8%
Ischaemic Heart Disease 18.5%
Cerebrovascular Disease 7.8%
Injury and poisoning 6.4%
Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.5%
Other forms of heart disease 5.0%
Diabetes Mellitus 3.5%
Diseases or arteries, arterioles and capillaries 2.4%
Organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders 1.9%
Renal Failure 1.5%
Other causes of death 18.7%
(ABS Mortality Database)
Leading types of Cancer:
• Men: Prostrate, Colorectal, Lung
• Women: Breast, Colorectal, Melanoma
Weight/ Exercise:
• In 2004 48.9% of Tasmanians self reported they are overweight/obese.
• 69% of adults and >85% high school students do not meet minimum exercise recommendations.
Smoking:
• 25.4% of Tasmanian adults smoke.
Vitamin D:
• Everybody, adults and children are at risk of being Vitamin D deficient in Tasmania. Some studies have found 67% of women are Vitamin D Deficient. Related to: increased risk of Cancer, Diabetes, MS.
Statistics (Apart from Vitamin D) sourced from:
Australian Bureau of Statistics
DHHS 2011 ‘Indicators of Health for Tasmanians’, 2008, Hobart, Tasmania.
