SOCIOECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY - THE EFFECT OF OBESITY ON THE INDIVIDUAL

Obese persons, particularly women, are socially stigmatised, which adversely affects their educational, socioeconomic and marital status. Obese individuals are excluded from certain occupations, and are discriminated against in others. Various surveys have found lower educational and socioeconomic achievement in obese and overweight populations. The inverse relationship between obesity and social class is more evident in women. Obese women were found to complete fewer years of school, be less likely to marry, and have lower household incomes compared with women of normal weight. They were also less likely to improve their social status on marriage. Although differences in socioeconomic status between obese and nonobese persons might be accounted for to some extent by differences in social, economic and educational background, obesity is frequently associated with health problems or reduced physical performance, which can restrict socioeconomic achievement. Furthermore, society's poor perception of obese persons, particularly women, is a major handicap to socioeconomic progress.