Obesity a Problem of Affluence, New Study Confirms

scaleThe Harvard School of Public Health has just published a new study indicating that in developing countries a high body mass index (BMI) is only a problem among the more affluent living . According to research findings obesity is a problem in wealthier, first and second world countries and effects all levels of society. However, obesity has not yet become a society wide problem in poorer countries. There obesity is limited to the rich.

“Previous research on the increasing overweight and obesity burden in developing countries has assumed that the burden is shared by everybody within these countries. However,according to S. V. Subramanian, lead author of the paper and associate professor in the department of society, human development, and health at HSPH, he found that the social patterning of weight continues to closely resemble the unequal distribution of income and other resources.”