Socioeconomic Status And Obesity Essay

Did you know that more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese? Obesity is related to some of the leading causes of death, including heart disease, some cancers, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. While obesity levels have been rising for all socioeconomic groups, some groups are more affected than others. Research shows how socioeconomic status and obesity are related. They found that obesity rose with a nation’s economic development, but also that socioeconomic status as it related to obesity changed. In lower-income countries, people with higher socioeconomic status (SES) were more likely to be obese. Conversely, in high-income countries, those with higher SES were less likely to be obese. Why the reversal? It may be that in lower-income countries, higher SES leads to consuming high-calorie food and avoiding physically tough tasks. But in higher-income countries, individuals with higher SES may respond with healthy eating and regular exercise. The implication is that while economic development improves health, “Problems of malnutrition are replaced by problems of overconsumption that differentially affect SES groups,” noted the authors. But some developing

Using data from 17 nations mostly in Europe, the researchers found that activities such as reading, attending cultural events, and going to the movies were associated just as much as exercise was with a lower BMI. On the other hand, people who participated in activities such as watching TV, attending sporting events, and shopping had higher BMI. These patterns were most consistent in high-income nations such as those in western Europe. In explaining how different sedentary activities could be associated with different weights, the authors suggested that the activities are “associated with body weight through a possible common cause—cultural tastes that in part distinguish SES-related group