Australian Obesity Research: Global leadership and local change

Developed by Research Australia together with Novo Nordisk, this report maps Australian obesity research activity and funding and identifies priority areas for further investment. Methods comprised a rapid literature and clinical trial registry scan of Australian obesity research published from 2017, which retrieved 1586 citations; a September 2022 survey of 97 obesity researchers; polling of over a thousand Australians conducted with Roy Morgan; and analysis of the National Obesity Strategy 2022-2032 and related policies. The Australian Government funded 52% of obesity publications, followed by universities and research institutions (24%) and philanthropy (22%), with the NHMRC the largest individual funder (32%). The top 5 most prolific authors accounted for 8% of publications. In the poll, 76% of respondents rated prevention through supportive environments as very or extremely important. Surveyed researchers most often prioritised preventive health research (38%), systems change (29%), and food systems research and translation science (24% each). The report distils policy into five research themes: impacts of obesity, high priority populations, prevention in health care, management in health care, and healthy living programs. Its six recommendations include targeted Australian Government funding for obesity research, research on supporting GPs to manage obesity, prevention across all age groups, greater international collaboration, priorities guided by people living with obesity, and research into obesogenic environments.