Social class and Obesity

Montroseee

Why is it that there is such a correlation between childhood obesity and lower socioeconomic status? Women of all ages are also much more likely to be obese or overweight if they are from a lower socioeconomic background. I've never really understood why this is so, I know good quality food is expensive and it's easier to get the 2 euro bag of chips down in Centra but the issue is a lot more complex than this, it is an issue of attitude IMO. Is sport less encouraged? Unhealthy lifestyle less discouraged? Is education a factor? I don't really know but it intrigues me.


http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/risk-of-obesity-doubles-for-children-in-lowincome-homes-29952165.html

bodice ripper

If life already feels like a farce, motivation is hard to come by.

Sheep Lover

Bag of chips for 2 euro or bag of apples for around 1.50 euro, its not money its just greed/stupidity.

ceadaoin.

Probably because junk food is cheaper than fresh stuff.

The Strawman Argument

Sheep Lover wrote: »

Bag of chips for 2 euro or bag of apples for around 1.50 euro, its not money its just greed/stupidity.

I reckon I'd probably live longer if I was eating a diet exclusively of chips than one exclusively of apples...

Sheep Lover

The Strawman Argument wrote: »

I reckon I'd probably live longer if I was eating a diet exclusively of chips than one exclusively of apples...

Fire away my good man, I was simply pointing out that vegetables/fruit/healthy stuff can nearly always be found cheaper than junk food.

ceadaoin.

Sheep Lover wrote: »

Fire away my good man, I was simply pointing out that vegetables/fruit/healthy stuff can nearly always be found cheaper than junk food.

A bag of chips can be a dinner, an apple is not. They aren't really comparable.

mikom

Sheep Lover wrote: »

Bag of chips for 2 euro or bag of apples for around 1.50 euro, its not money its just greed/stupidity.

Bag of chips for 2 euro or 2 kg of potatoes for 2 euro is even more damning.

Sheep Lover

ceadaoin. wrote: »

A bag of chips can be a dinner, an apple is not. They aren't really comparable.

What's the difference between having a couple of apples for dinner to having a bag of chips for dinner?

AnonoBoy

It's lack of education.

anonyanony

Montroseee wrote: »

Why is it that there is such a correlation between childhood obesity and lower socioeconomic status? Women of all ages are also much more likely to be obese or overweight if they are from a lower socioeconomic background. I've never really understood why this is so, I know good quality food is expensive and it's easier to get the 2 euro bag of chips down in Centra but the issue is a lot more complex than this, it is an issue of attitude IMO. Is sport less encouraged? Unhealthy lifestyle less discouraged? I don't really know but it intrigues me.

Don't know where better nutrition food is more expensive then junk came from. When I put on weight by getting lazy and eating junk I was spending more then now when eating good, one of the things that got me back to eating good and stop junk food was when I made redundant I just could no justify spending the money on McDonald's or domino's cause when I was umemployed I had a weekly shop budget of around 40 euro and once I got another job I just kept up the good eating cause when I put on the bit of weight I got depressed and did not want to go back to the bad habits.

I understand if you have social housing and no other outgoings and dole at 188 euro sure then you can get junk and yes it's the lazy thing to do but it will cost you way more then good food.

GarIT

It's all do do with parenting, fat kids have bad parents who don't educate them properly either.

I've done extensive research and found that it is much healthier to each healthy than not. Assuming that the person eating healthy has portion control while the other does not.

ceadaoin.

Sheep Lover wrote: »

What's the difference between having a couple of apples for dinner to having a bag of chips for dinner?

A few hundred calories probably. I don't know about chips but an apple is less than 100 calories. You won't feel satisfied after eating 2 of those for dinner.


It's also lack of education and knowledge. It is possible to eat well cheaply but you need to know how to cook. If you're from a family who lives off processed food and ready meals then you don't have any idea about how to prepare healthy food.

chrissb8

Yeah healthy food is not hard to come by at reasonable prices. I do agree though you see obese mothers sharing a bag of chips with their kids at a bus stop or see the parents giving cans of coke or fanta and a packet of crisps to their pot bellied 5 year old kids. Just the culture around that socio economic class though. Parents can't look after themselves let alone their kids. I don't buy the lack of knowledge about foods and drinks being a reason for the rotund kids. If you're a parent weighing 18 stone smoking, eating and drinking away you know what you're doing is bad for you. Just a shame alot of kids are doomed before they even begin with bad eating habits like their parents.

Sheep Lover

ceadaoin. wrote: »

A few hundred calories probably. I don't know about chips but an apple is less than 100 calories. You won't feel satisfied after eating 2 of those for dinner.

But you will after a measly bag of chips?

Montroseee

GarIT wrote: »

It's all do do with parenting, fat kids have bad parents who don't educate them properly either.

I've done extensive research and found that it is much healthier to each healthy than not.

So could we safely say that if kids are statistically more likely to be overweight if they are from a lower economic background then parents are more likely to bad if they are of lower socioeconomic status.

LETHAL LADY

Is it because there is far greater number of people who can be described as coming from a lower social class or lower income homes causing the figures to be skewed?

DoYouEvenLift

Lower standards of education would be part of it but with most people having access to the internet nowadays that's slowly becoming less of a valid point, or excuse, since the information is there yet people will check their Facebook newsfeeds instead of using a tool for access to basically endless information to learn about stuff that can actually help them.

Montroseee

LETHAL LADY wrote: »

Is it because there is far greater number of people who can be described as coming from a lower social class or lower income homes causing the figures to be skewed?

It's proportional.

GarIT

Montroseee wrote: »

So could we safely say that if kids are statistically more likely to be overweight if they are from a lower economic background then parents are more likely to bad if they are of lower socioeconomic status.

Yes, which links back to education. Less educated people educate less.

robman60

Some of it is probably because low income people tend to be less intelligent, therefore more likely to opt for convenient, cheap unhealthy options.

ceadaoin.

Sheep Lover wrote: »

But you will after a measly bag of chips?

Seriously? Obviously chips are a lot more filling than apples. On the plus side, apples for dinner would solve the obesity epidemic.

somuj

Fat children equals child abuse and parents should be brought before the court. Its disgusting watching an adult shoveling junk into their kids.

anonyanony

robman60 wrote: »

Some of it is probably because low income people tend to be less intelligent, therefore more likely to opt for convenient, cheap unhealthy options.

Stop calling it cheap, the junk food is more expensive then a good meal you can make yourself.

ceadaoin.

robman60 wrote: »

Some of it is probably because low income people tend to be less intelligent, therefore more likely to opt for convenient, cheap unhealthy options.

Lack of education, not intelligence. Unless you think that poor people are idiot sub human types?

anncoates

You've really got a bee in your bonnet about them proles, haven't you?

fr336

There are a few billionaires who look like they're a new skyscraper structure.

steddyeddy

Sheep Lover wrote: »

What's the difference between having a couple of apples for dinner to having a bag of chips for dinner?

The calorific intake.

Ave Sodalis

robman60 wrote: »

Some of it is probably because low income people tend to be less intelligent, therefore more likely to opt for convenient, cheap unhealthy options.

Less intelligent... Have you any stats to back that up?

Sheep Lover wrote: »

But you will after a measly bag of chips?

You can grab a big bag of frozen chips out of Centra for €2 and that's Centra. Lidl and Aldi are cheaper again so yeah, you'd be full after one of those

Saipanne

Its a cop out to say eating healthy is expensive, because it isn't.

RDM_83 again

Its more complex than just this but the biggest factor is Time, if your working for a low paid job unsatisfying job you have no time to or way of doing the big healthy food shop and prepairing the food