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Socioeconomic Factors: Poverty and Obesity

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The Economics of Obesity

Abstract

The modern relationship between obesity and poverty is nuanced and complex. Being poor in one of the poorest countries in the world may be associated with scarce nutrition and emaciation, while being poor in a developed country may mean a higher risk of obesity. In this chapter, we will explain variations in poverty (depending upon geography, social stratification, and economic development), and will identify how socioeconomic groups with low personal capital, low health capital, and low social capital have higher obesity rates compared with socioeconomic groups with higher endowments of capital. We will support the argument that while government programs do help the poor, poverty remains high due to a sharp increase in inequality of economic outcomes.

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  1. Center Valley, PA, USA

    Tahereh Alavi Hojjat

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Hojjat, T.A. (2021). Socioeconomic Factors: Poverty and Obesity. In: The Economics of Obesity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78487-4_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78487-4_5

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