Australians live a long life despite high rates of cancer, booze

Australians live a long life and are more likely than most to consider themselves healthy, finds a new analysis.

Australians live a long life and are more likely than most to consider themselves healthy, despite high rates of cancer, obesity and alcohol consumption.

Australians live a long life and are more likely than most to consider themselves healthy, according to an analysis of 36 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Yet Australia has the second-highest incidence of cancer, the third-highest proportion of overweight and obese men (behind the US and Chile) and above-average alcohol intake.

The juxtaposition is revealed in a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, ­released today to provide inter­national comparisons to judge the nation’s performance.

Life expectancy in Australia is 82.5 years — above the OECD ­average of 80.6 years — and the diseases that kill us are also the most common causes of death in other countries.

While Australia’s incidence of cancer is high on a global scale, that may be due to our screening and reporting methods, although performance in some of the cancer risk factors varies.

Australia has the sixth-lowest proportion of daily smokers, yet our alcohol intake is above the OECD average and both men and women are on the heavy side of the scale.

Canadians, New Zealanders and Americans are more likely to perceive their health as good or very good than Australians, with those living in high-income countries more likely to consider themselves healthy.

Australia is one of 20 OECD countries with 100 per cent health coverage (through Medicare or insurance).