And city slickers are most likely to be both lean and active.
New research from the Australian Heart Foundation has revealed the parts of Australia where people are most likely to be obese and physically inactive.
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Nationally, 27.5% of adults are obese and 57% do less exercise than they should to be healthy.
The Heart Foundation research combined data from the Australia Bureau of Statistics on obesity and physical activity rates to give Australian regions a national ranking.
Darling Downs – Maranoa is ranked number one, with the highest rates of obesity and inactivity, while Sydney's eastern suburbs have the lowest at number 92.
Heart Foundation National CEO Mary Barry said the data clashes with images of Australians as fit and active people.
"The truth is as a nation our waist lines are increasing while our physical activity time is decreasing," she said. "We are creating bodies that are breeding grounds for heart disease."
The ten most obese and inactive areas in the country are all in regional Australia. Five are in Queensland, two in South Australia, two in Victoria and one in NSW.
Heart Foundation / ABS / Supplied
Regional areas of South Australia made the top ten, along with Queensland's Ipswich, Mackay, Fitzroy and Toowoomba.
Regional towns Shepparton and Ballarat were Victoria's most obese and inactive areas, while the Riverina region – encompassing the regional cities of Wagga Wagga and Griffith – took first place in NSW.
