Quote:
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Originally Posted by Supple Cow
Okay, I kind of think you're missing the point of the thread. Obviously DNA, other biological factors, and self control are directly involved in causation. But I think there's something to the correlation. That doesn't mean if you're poor, you are then also fat. It just means that maybe there is some connection. That does not necessarily mean cause and effect.
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Actually Safronlove has a point. The question shouldn't be, why are poor people fat? but instead, what contributes to obesity in poor people? Another valid question (and interesting conversation) is, what contributes to obesity in rich people? But this last question is not a part of this thread. To put things into perspective consider the following data:
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Center for Health Statistics. “National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” 2002. (Table 70).
I've crunched some numbers for you for clarity:
First column:
overweight %
Second column:
obese %
Less than $20,000
30%
24%
$20,000 or more
35%
21%
$20,000 - $34,999
35%
23%
$35,000 - $54,999
35%
24%
$55,000 - $74,999
36%
23%
$75,000 or more
37%
18%
Isn't it interesting? Weight problems are pretty similarly distributed across income levels here. I know this data is six years old, but I doubt the percentages have changed drastically in that time.
So, yes, there
is some connection between being both fat and poor, the specifics of which might be different than those causing weight problems in rich people. For example, I would suggest the following are somewhat unique in poor people: lack of free time, no money for gym memberships and other cost-bearing exercise activities, lack of access to health-care providers, etc. And I'm sure poor food choices is one as well, but the reasons are varied, I'm sure: too tired, too depressed, lack of education, etc. These factors make junk food look more appealing, don't they? So what about the rich people?
I think many of us don't tend to see many fat rich people mainly because we don't see many rich people, period. *Tongue stuck firmly in cheek* I can't say my daily activities and hangouts allow me rub elbows with the rich too much. I think they're too busy milling about in the upper-class societies and gated communities. Poor people are more visible because they don't magically transport themselves from floor 32 of the office tower to their suburban monster house via shiny, rapid BMWs and Lexus (Lexi?).