SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS OF OBESITY - CAUSES OR EFFECTS

Numerous studies in the Western world show an inverse relationship bet ween degree of obesity and socioeconomic status. The relationship is m ost consistent among women, but it becomes obvious when focusing on ob esity in men and children. To count the low socio-economic status as a cost of obesity requires that the low status is a consequence of obes ity that would not occur if obesity were prevented. A few prospective cohort studies do suggest that this may be the case. However, there is also evidence suggesting that low socio-economic status promotes deve lopment of obesity. For various methodological reasons these cohort st udies should be cautiously interpreted with regard to cause-and-effect relationships. Furthermore. if obesity and low socio-economic status share some causes, this would generate similar findings. and there are no studies that clearly distinguish between these possibilities. Ther efore, the cause-and-effect relationship is not yet sufficiently eluci dated to count the low socio-economic status of the obese as an unambi guous cost of obesity.