It's no secret more Australians are obese than in generations past, and with our expanding waistlines has come an increase in interventions to try and control that weight. But many more women than men are going under the knife as a treatment.
Surgery has a higher rate of long-term weight loss than other interventions. These surgeries also carry risks.
This imbalance raises questions. Are more women feeling greater social pressure to be thin than men? Or is the mismatch because women visit doctors more regularly than men, meaning men are missing opportunities to be referred on to surgery?
What should I read next?
- Why Australia is one of the fattest nations on Earth with no obesity strategy
- Hospitals fail to meet rising demand for obesity care
- Why we should forget losing weight and focus on healthy habits
Want more charts?
This is part of a new daily series featuring charts which tell a story. If you know of some data that fits the bill, we'd love to hear about it.
- How much of the food in a supermarket is healthy?
- Are you eating more veggies than a 3-year-old? Probably not
- Low-sugar foods in high demand
