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‘Obesity’ and ‘overweight’ are terms used to describe the condition of a person with an excess of body fat. Overweight and obesity affects young people’s psychological wellbeing and increases the risk of developing chronic health conditions and adult obesity.

Although there is news media coverage of these issues, there remains a limited understanding of the causes of overweight and obesity, and how young people are affected within the general Australian population. As part of the Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies (ACYS) Face the Facts series, this briefing package aims to bring to the attention of decision-makers some of the key statistics, policy implications and opportunities relating to youth and overweight and obesity, and to raise the importance of these issues.