A recent article in the New York Times, by John G. Farrell, discusses a study which reveals a link between poverty and obesity. At first glance, it seems logical, that people who are poor would have a higher tendency toward weight gain, due to the fact that they cannot afford healthy foods and may not have regular access to fresh, healthy food, but that might not be entirely correct. It seems that many of the poorest people in the world do not get obese. While they don’t have enough food or access to healthy food, they don’t eat as much as people in rich countries do. Some of the poorest people in the world are so poor that they only have enough to eat once a day, which is often not very much, but it’s more than other people eat on a regular basis, so it seems that poverty has an effect on weight. There are many other factors involved that need to be taken into consideration when trying to understand why obesity has a tendency to increase in poor nations. For example, there are lower rates of breastfeeding and higher rates of infant formula consumption and these are linked to obesity. There are also differences in genetics that also play a role. While it might seem logical that poverty could be linked to increased rates of obesity, there are still many people who argue that the opposite is true. If someone is very poor, there isn’t much they can buy, so there’s not much chance for them to gain weight. There is also a common misconception that overweight people are always well fed, while there is no evidence that supports this belief. It’s also unclear how many calories are consumed during certain times of day. The researchers who studied this suggest that they are not likely to gain weight unless their diet contains a very large amount of calories. Another factor to consider when considering the relation between poverty and obesity is that poor people often spend all their money on food, meaning that their diet is poor in nutrients. Also, people living in poverty are often stressed, have little education, they might not be physically active, and they have to struggle to find food for their family. This can result in a lack of sleep and poor health and can cause a decrease in the body’s need for nutrients. All of these factors can contribute to the tendency toward obesity. The poorer people in the world, who are so likely to be overweight, also have fewer resources to deal with their weight, like exercise and diet plans, in order to lose weight. The studies also show that obesity is more prevalent among the poor. According to the researchers, studies like this should be continued and expanded to help better understand the problem and identify solutions. This new research highlights the fact that if we want to make a difference in the health of people around the world, we need to take into consideration the economic and social circumstances of those people. According to this study, there is no clear reason as to why more and more people are obese. People are eating much more today, they are exercising less and less, and there is no obvious solution that will help people maintain a healthy weight. Until a clear understanding is reached, governments need to take action to help everyone have access to affordable food, access to healthcare, and access to nutrition information. Poor people are more likely to become obese and have their health threatened by poor diets and little exercise. By trying to figure out why poor people are obese, we can be prepared for how to better treat their illnesses. If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. No related posts. If you are interested in more information on the subject of obesity, visit www.cdc.gov. Dori P. Schmitt-Klein is a nutrition and obesity writer. You can contact her at info@doriwrites.com. 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