Fat Australians in country areas urged to lose weight

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) on Thursday launched its "Lighten your Load" advertising campaign aimed at stemming the obesity epidemic outside cities.

Fat Australians living in regional areas are being challenged to slim down with up to 75 percent of people in some areas classed as overweight or obese, a new study shows. AMA spokesperson Dr Shaun Rudd said rural and regional Australians were more likely to die earlier if they lived outside urban areas, and obesity-related diseases were a big factor.

He said men aged 45-65 were much more likely to die of heart disease and suffer a stroke than those living in the city.

"The rotund rural and regional people need to wage a war on the wobble," Rudd said. "If you're overweight, you're more likely to have high blood pressure, you're more likely to have high sugar and develop diabetes, you're more likely to have high cholesterol. It's all bad."