A new South Australian study has found little change in most people's diet and exercise after retirement - pointing to the need for positive lifestyle choices during your working life to maximise long-term health outcomes.
Based on Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) data, the research published in Economic Analysis and Policy found little change in weight or diet among older adults in retirement - although longer retirement was associated with a modest reduction in obesity rates among men.
"We found no evidence that transitioning into retirement significantly affects body weight for either men or women," says Flinders University Associate Professor of Economics Dr Ilke Onur, from the College of Business, Government and Law.
While retirement duration has no significant effect on women's weight, longer time spent in retirement is associated with a modest reduction in obesity rates among men.
"The analysis indicates that retirement is linked to a moderate increase in physical activity that tends to replace work-related activity with comparable levels of exercise.
"Additionally, we find few changes in food consumption patterns among retirees, suggesting Australians do not significantly change their diets when they retire."
The researchers - including Dr Rong Zhu (Flinders University) and Professor Tony Cavoli (Adelaide University) - say this continuity of weight and obesity-related health risks among older adults, regardless of increases in the pension age in Australia, opens the way to policymakers to promote more active lifestyle choices through all ages - rather than rely on retirement to make positive health changes.
The experts also call for more community programs for active retirement to improve the health and lifespan of older Australians, including those on the aged pension scheme.
Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Among older adults, the consequences of obesity are particularly severe, as it is linked to functional limitations, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
The new study aims to add to understanding of how retirement shapes later-life weight outcomes.
"Our findings suggest that pre-retirement interventions, such as workplace wellbeing programs, may be more effective in shaping long-term weight outcomes and encouraging healthy habits before individuals transition into retirement," says Associate Professor Onur.
"This moderate increase in physical activity after retirement is a good time for more community-based exercise programs and age-friendly infrastructure to be made available to promote social initiatives like group fitness programs for older adults.
"Such policies can help maximise the health benefits of retirement by reinforcing existing behavioural changes."
Globally, the population is ageing rapidly, with estimations that by 2030, one in six people will be over the age of 60 years. Population ageing is a major public health concern as increased longevity does not always correlate with good health.
Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22% with 80% of older people will be living in low- and middle-income countries by 2050.
In Australia, about 4.2 million people, or 16% of the total population, were aged 65 and over (at 30 June 2020). By 2066, it is projected that older people in Australia will make up between 21% and 23% of the total population.
The article, 'Retirement and weight stability: Panel evidence from Australia' (2025) by Tony Cavoli, Rong Zhu and Ilke Onur has been published in the journal of Economic Analysis and Policy – DOI: 10. 1016/j.eap.2025.10.038.
