Socio-economic aspects of obesity: causes or effects?
Numerous studies in the Western world show an inverse relationship between degree of obesity and socio-economic status. The relationship is most consistent among women, but it becomes obvious when focusing on obesity 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 obesity 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 development of obesity. For various methodological reasons these cohort studies 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. Therefore, the cause-and-effect relationship is not yet sufficiently elucidated to count the low socio-economic status of the obese as an unambiguous cost of obesity.
Sørensen
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Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Copenhagen Hospital Corporation, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
D015984:Causality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012923:Social Class