Federal electorate of Barker wins unwanted title of nation’s most unhealthy division in DIY health check
With more than one-in-three participants judged as obese, a sprawling South Australian electorate has emerged as the country's most unhealthy region.
Barker in South Australia has been named as the nation’s most unhealthy federal electorate in data drawn from 577,477 DIY health checks completed by 416,205 Australians last financial year.
The free, five-minute self-service checks were done at SiSU Health Stations — the same as those used by more than 9000 people at five sites during Gather Round supported by the Shane Warne Legacy, although this data was not included.
The Wesfarmers Health: Australia’s Health Index used de-identified data from the free checks at SiSU Health Stations done in Priceline pharmacies and stores, with total data for comparison now standing at 3.6 million health checks completed by 2.4 million Australians since 2018.
The SiSU devices are registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
The resulting index gives every state, territory and federal electorate a score based on cardiometabolic risk factors assessed by the checks — body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, body fat, diabetes risk, smoking — set against a baseline of 100.
Barker’s index was 55, compared to the overall national index of 107.
The sprawling electorate running from the South East to the Murraylands, Riverland and Barossa Valley had more than one-in-three participants judged as obese, 43 per cent were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, more than one-in-three had high blood pressure and 15 per cent smoked daily.
In contrast to Barker’s paltry score of 55, Boothby — running from the coastal southern suburbs to the Adelaide Hills — had SA’s highest score of 166, although this was far behind the national champion of Bradfield in NSW with a whooping 316.
SA’s index of 99 was up from 84 last year but behind the ACT (134), WA (121), Victoria (113) and NSW (109).
Wesfarmers Health managing director Emily Amos said the 2025 index highlights both progress and ongoing challenges for Australians’ health.
“While we’re seeing encouraging improvements in some areas, rising obesity, diabetes risk, and vaping among young people show there’s still more work to do,” she said.
Wesfarmers Health pharmacist Amy Jones added: “Knowing your numbers is the first step to preventing serious health conditions.
“A SiSU Health Station check is free, self-service, accessible and take five minutes – making it quick and easy for Australians to check their blood pressure, weight, diabetes risk and more.
“Having regular checks enables Australians to track their health over time and take action if needed.”
The index report found almost one-in-six Australians aged 16–19 now vape every day; about 12 per cent of Australians live with multiple risk factors for heart disease; 872,000 Australians will likely develop type 2 diabetes in the next five years; and obesity is increasing, especially among men, with three-in-ten affected.
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