A worrying report on obesity rates in Australia shows a widening gap between country and city towns.
An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report has found adults living in regional Australia are significantly more likely to be overweight or obese.
Its release on Thursday comes just weeks after data showed Australia's wealthiest postcodes were the healthiest and has led to calls for urgent action from the Australian Medical Association NSW.
Based on data from Australia's 31 Primary Health Networks (PHNs), the AIHW's Healthy Communities report found those living in country South Australia are the fattest in the country.
But even in the slimmest area of Australia, northern Sydney, 50 per cent of the population are either overweight or obese.
In 2014-15, there was an estimated 11.2 million Australian adults who were overweight or obese - one of the biggest risk factors for disease.
More men than women were considered too heavy, with 70.8 per cent of males overweight or obese compared to 56.3 per cent of females.
The highest rate of overweight and obese adults was in country South Australia at 73 per cent - that's almost three in four people - while Northern Sydney had the lowest rate at 53 per cent.
As for the metro areas, the Nepean Blue Mountains, which takes in the western Sydney region of Penrith, had the highest rate (66.9 per cent) of overweight and obese adults.
When looking at just obesity - a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above - a wider variation was seen in adults across PHN areas.
"With obesity we see even wider variation with 16 per cent of adults who were shown to be obese in Central and Eastern Sydney, compared with 38 per cent in Country South Australia.
"Again, the highest obesity rates were recorded in regional areas,' said AIHW spokesperson Michael Frost.
Australia's Health Tracker by Area online tool, launched in November, showed Queensland topped the table for high rates of obesity.
President of the AMA (NSW), Professor Brad Frankum says obesity is a national health crisis and can no longer be put in the "too-hard basket" by Australian governments.
"The longer we go without action, the more difficult it will be to solve," he added.
An additional report by the AIHW showed daily smoking rates also remain relatively high in regional areas compared to city areas.
On average, 18 per cent of adults smoke daily in regional PHN areas, compared to 12.7 per cent in metropolitan Australia.
FATTEST REGIONAL AREAS IN AUSTRALIA
* Country South Australia - 73.3 per cent
* Western NSW - 71.1 per cent
* Darling Downs & western Moreton (Qld) - 70.1 per cent
* Western Victoria - 70.1 per cent
FATTEST METRO AREAS IN AUSTRALIA
* Nepean Blue Mountains (NSW) - 66.9 per cent
* Eastern Melbourne (Vic) - 65.9 per cent
* Western Sydney (NSW) 64.7 per cent
* Australian Capital Territory - 63.5 per cent
