Obesity - Socioeconomic Status
A hundred years ago in the United States, obesity was a mark of wealth and leisure. People who could afford to eat what they wanted and manage to pay others to work for them were the ones that put on the extra pounds. The economics of obesity have changed significantly since then, with the burden of weight and obesity falling disproportionately on the poor. There is a powerful inverse relation between obesity and socioeconomic status in the developed world, especially among African-Americans.
So, what is responsible for this association? There are at least two possibilities: obesity influences socioeconomic status or socioeconomic status influences obesity. But there is strong evidence supporting the latter as highlighted by the causal pathway between being poor and being at higher risk for obesity.
Recent studies reinforce this notion in suggesting that the direct causes of obesity have their roots in systemic social and economic factors that are not easily overcome by "eating less and not sitting around." Such socioeconomic factors that influence obesity have been documented in three areas: education, health care, and employment. These three elements inevitably tie racial elements to health outcomes such as obesity in the U.S.
For example, low income and low education is found to be strongly associated with both obesity and obesity comorbidities in etiological studies. Researchers found that weight gain over time in developed countries was associated with lower education levels and "blue-collar" occupations. Moreover, it is also found that the prevalence of obesity tends to shift toward lower socioeconomic groups as the country 's gross national product rises (Drewnowski et al., 2005). African-Americans in poor, urban environments reinforce the validity of these statistics. A 34-year study found that weight gain among African-Americans in the study was associated with low overall SES (socioeconomic status) calculated over three decades.
So, what is responsible for this association? There are at least two possibilities: obesity influences socioeconomic status or socioeconomic status influences obesity. But there is strong evidence supporting the latter as highlighted by the causal pathway between being poor and being at higher risk for obesity.
Recent studies reinforce this notion in suggesting that the direct causes of obesity have their roots in systemic social and economic factors that are not easily overcome by "eating less and not sitting around." Such socioeconomic factors that influence obesity have been documented in three areas: education, health care, and employment. These three elements inevitably tie racial elements to health outcomes such as obesity in the U.S.
For example, low income and low education is found to be strongly associated with both obesity and obesity comorbidities in etiological studies. Researchers found that weight gain over time in developed countries was associated with lower education levels and "blue-collar" occupations. Moreover, it is also found that the prevalence of obesity tends to shift toward lower socioeconomic groups as the country 's gross national product rises (Drewnowski et al., 2005). African-Americans in poor, urban environments reinforce the validity of these statistics. A 34-year study found that weight gain among African-Americans in the study was associated with low overall SES (socioeconomic status) calculated over three decades.
Bibliography: G. Bray et al., ‘The relation of gender, race and socioeconomic status to obesity and obesity comorbidities in a sample of US adults ', International Journal of Obesity, Vol. 26, No. 9 (2002). A. Drewnowski et al., ‘The Economics of Obesity ', Issue Briefings for Health Reporters, Vol. 10, No. 9 (2005). R. Puhl, and K. Brownell, ‘Psychosocial origins of obesity stigma: toward changing a powerful and pervasive bias ', Obesity Reviews, Vol. 4, No. 4 (2003). D. Stokes, ‘The Impact of Obesity on Healthcare Delivery ', For the Record, Vol. 16, No. 2 (2004). A. Stunkard, and T. Sorensen, ‘Obesity and Socioeconomic Status – A Complex Relation ', The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 329, No. 14 (1993). E. Sutton, ‘Obesity, Poverty, and the Case for Community Supported Agriculture in New York State ' (2005).