Revisiting Religion and BMI: Recent Evidence from Australia

This study examines the association between religion and body mass index (BMI) for a representative sample of the Australian population. We used data from five waves of the Household Income Labour Dynamics Australia (HILDA) Survey to analyse responses from 58,694 adults aged 18+. Our OLS regression analysis reveals that religious affiliation significantly influences BMI for both men and women, even after controlling for sociodemographic factors, health behaviour and psychological variables. Among men, those identifying as Catholic, Anglican (Episcopalian), or belonging to mainline Protestant denominations have, on average, a higher BMI than those reporting no religious affiliation. Among women, individuals affiliated with mainline or conservative Protestant denominations also exhibit higher average BMIs than those reporting no religious affiliation. Conversely, across both genders, non-Christians generally have lower average BMIs compared to non-religious individuals. We found that the frequency of religious attendance and the perceived importance of religion have minimal impact on BMI.