Doctors who keep an eye out for the koalas, chimpanzees, ants and lions among their patients could help tackle obesity. 

Adelaide researchers have characterised different activity habits as four animals to help identify those most at risk of developing the condition. 

It turns out that lions are actually the couch potatoes of the human world, ants are busy but come second for health, koalas are the most sedentary and chimpanzees have the most desirable traits. 

“Our research shows that ‘lions’ — people who spent much of their work time being active but most of their leisure time sedentary or in bed — tended to have the highest risk factors for obesity,” said University of SA researcher Dr Dot Dumuid (PhD).