Published in:
01-09-2020 | Obesity | Etiology of Obesity (M Rosenbaum, Section Editor)
Socioeconomics of Obesity
Authors:
Chika Vera Anekwe, Amber R. Jarrell, Matthew J. Townsend, Gabriela I. Gaudier, Julia M. Hiserodt, Fatima Cody Stanford
Published in:
Current Obesity Reports
|
Issue 3/2020
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Abstract
Purpose of Review
The purpose of this review is to evaluate and emphasize important findings in the recent literature regarding the socioeconomics of obesity. It is important to evaluate trends of this global epidemic and elucidate its impact on different demographic groups and across socioeconomic strata.
Recent Findings
Obesity rates continue to increase domestically and globally which is associated with a concomitant rise in medical and economic costs. There are disparities in obesity rates based on race/ethnicity, sex, gender and sexual identity, and socioeconomic status, yet these disparities are not explained fully by health behaviors, socioeconomic position, or cumulative stress alone—community and societal environmental factors have a significant role in the obesity epidemic.
Summary
Socioeconomic factors contribute to obesity on an individual and community level, and any viable approach to sustainably addressing the obesity epidemic must take these factors into account.