Alternative models for the epidemiological analysis of obesity as a publichealth problem

Public health problems have been analyzed over time using different approac hes involving a variety of methodological and theoretical models The classi cal epidemiological model and the social epidemiological model are two exam ples of models used in public health research Although each of these models covers a whole range of public research approaches, it is possible to iden tify the different theoretical and methodological criteria and the differen t ideological assumptions on which they are based. The objective of this ar ticle is to make a comparison of the criteria used bq the classical and soc ial epidemiological models in the study of public health problems,vith spec ial emphasis on the study of obesity. This comparison shows that the knowle dge generated by studies carried out under each of these models is rather d ifferent, as an effect of the different theoretical, methodological and ide ological criteria used by each model. However, far from being contradictory , the knowledge generated by each model can complement that generated br th e other Finally, the inclusion of social sciences as a tool for the analysi s of public health problems specifically the problem of obesity, is discuss ed.