A new Curtin University-led study has revealed where Australians live can significantly influence their body weight – suggesting your postcode may be as important to your health as your diet or exercise routine.
The long-term research, which tracked the same group of Australians over 14 years, showed that people who move to a new area gradually begin to match the average weight of their new community. In other words, a change of address may come with a change of waistline.
Lead author and PhD candidate Michael Windsor, from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, says the findings highlight that tackling obesity in Australia requires more than just promoting individual healthy habits.
“By following thousands of Australians year after year and using broad two-digit postcode regions to identify when they moved, we were able to see how changing location influenced their weight,” Windsor said.
“On average, about 15 per cent of the difference in weight between regions can be explained by where people live, not just who they are. People tend to slowly gain or lose weight to align more closely with the average weight of their new area.
“That tells us that local factors such as the availability of healthy food, the density of fast-food outlets, walkability and access to green space, are quietly but powerfully influencing people’s health.”
One of the strongest findings from the study is that food environments, such as what’s available, accessible and affordable in a suburb, have a far greater impact on people’s diets than previously recognised.
“We found that the area in which people live has a much stronger effect on food consumption than on physical activity,” Windsor added.
“For example, up to half of the variation in how much people spend on groceries or takeaway food across different areas can be traced to the environment they live in. This suggests that what’s available, affordable and convenient locally has a real impact on the choices people make.”
In simple terms: if your street is packed with fast-food outlets and limited fresh-food options, it may be nudging your eating habits more than your willpower can.
With two-thirds of Australians now overweight or obese, understanding how neighbourhood design affects health has never been more important. The study used data from the long-running ‘Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia’ (HILDA) survey, allowing researchers to monitor weight changes before and after participants moved house.
The results pointed to a clear trend, that built environments – from footpaths and parks to supermarket access – subtly but consistently shape health outcomes.
Windsor said urban design and planning policies could play a crucial role in reducing obesity rates across Australia.
“Improving access to fresh food, investing in walkable neighbourhoods and designing healthier local environments could make a meaningful difference,” he said.
“Individual choices matter, but the evidence shows that the places people live also have a significant influence. Effective policy must recognise both.”
While the findings are serious, there’s an amusing takeaway: when Australians move house, they don’t just pick up new cafés and local shortcuts – they may slowly pick up or shed a few kilos too.
So next time you’re browsing real estate listings, you might want to check out the local food scene and walkability score along with the number of bedrooms. This study suggests that your suburb isn’t just influencing where you live… it’s how you live.
To read the full research paper, published in Social Science & Medicine, click HERE.
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