The obesity era

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StheK
StheK Posts: 443 Member
in Chit-Chat
For those who might be interested in a more nuanced view of why weight is such a struggle for us. Lots of food for thought here.

"As the American people got fatter, so did marmosets, vervet monkeys and mice. The problem may be bigger than any of us....

... Many other aspects of the worldwide weight gain are also difficult to square with the ‘it’s-just-thermodynamics’ model. In rich nations, obesity is more prevalent in people with less money, education and status. Even in some poor countries, according to a survey published last year in the International Journal of Obesity, increases in weight over time have been concentrated among the least well-off. And the extra weight is unevenly distributed among the sexes, too. In a study published in the Social Science and Medicine journal last year, Wells and his co-authors found that, in a sample that spanned 68 nations, for every two obese men there were three obese women. Moreover, the researchers found that higher levels of female obesity correlated with higher levels of gender inequality in each nation. Why, if body weight is a matter of individual decisions about what to eat, should it be affected by differences in wealth or by relations between the sexes?"

http://www.aeonmagazine.com/being-human/david-berreby-obesity-era/

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  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
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    Calorie dense food is mass produced and mass promoted, so it's cheaper and more accessible to low income folks. Also, if you work for minimum wage you often need to keep two jobs (equivalent to 50 hours a week or more) just to make ends meet. Needless to say you can't really afford the time and money for gym.

    According to one of the studies that I read, level of education is actually more strongly (and negatively) correlated with obesity. Higher educated folks tend to be less obese. Since higher education positively correlates with higher income, it supports your assertion.

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