A new study suggests that the adverse consequences of obesity may be socially constructed, and can vary depending on the prevalence of obesity in a given region. The research examined data from over 3.4 million people in the United States and United Kingdom, and found that individuals living with obesity in areas with lower obesity rates tend to face more significant medical and psychological challenges compared to those in high-obesity regions. This intriguing finding highlights the complex interplay between social context and individual health. Obesity is a growing global concern, with far-reaching implications for both personal well-being and public health.
Obesogenic Impacts as Socially Constructed
The study, by Jana Berkessel of the University of Mannheim in Germany, uncovers an unexpected nuance to the effects of obesity: its costs appear to be variable depending on the density with which it is present within a given region. In plainer language: High obesity rates in a neighboring county appear to protect an obese individual from more severe medical and psychological consequences.
Researchers concluded this result probably means that the ill-effects of obesity are partly due to social factors instead of being strictly biological. Berkessel explains, ” This suggests that at least some of the harms of obesity are socially perceived and therefore modifiable to a degree.” The social circumstances of the individual are largely responsible for what it means to live with obesity and how one can manage a condition that affects nearly 40% of our population.
Impact of Obesity Differs Among Regions
Analysing large datasets from the US and UK that tracked weight, height, geographic locations and a variety of social, health and economic outcomes, the researchers first assessed how population-level changes in obesity related to shifting patterns of various attributes that are commonly studied in social science. Regional disparities were stark: obesity rates ran higher than the national average in areas of the United States like the Midwest and South, while other places with comparatively lower prevalence included New England and Western states. The U.K. followed the same pattern, but with higher rates of obesity in Central and Northern regions.In Southern Wales3.Positions in the south had lower chances of being obeseincluding London2.
Paradoxically, those [with obesity] who reside in the regions where obesity was not very high are more unemployed and acknowledge a poorer health status than those residents in regions with high-obesity prevalence. This is consistent with the idea that obesogenic social stigma and discrimination are more obviously overt in less (and changing) obese environments, which would result in excess personal or professional adversity for those affected.
Overcoming Obesity: A More Tailored Approach
Conclusions This study underlines the importance of taking regional context into consideration in tackling obesity. This means that public health has to take into account the social and psychological burden of obesity on population, and a personalized approach specific for each region.
Implementing moderated weight bias interventions and creating more inclusive social environments for individuals with obesity in lower-obesity regions could compensate some of the adverse impacts on socially determined health inequalities whilst addressing the persistent need to tackle obesity-related health risks. Thus, by recognizing the social construction of these effects we can strive for a much more humane set of solutions based on care and promotion…of all peoples regardless of contextual factors or body size.
