General

Poor women more likely to be obese, but not men

Finding contradicts common perceptions

According to U.S. government researchers, income doesn’t greatly affect whether a man becomes obese, although poor women are more likely to become obese. Meanwhile, education levels seems to affect both genders. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, which has been linked in past studies to income and education. But in a national study of 5,000 people, done every year, they found that 41 per cent of obese adults live in well-off homes, bringing in at least $77,000 a year for a family of four. Meanwhile, 29 per cent of women in well-to-do homes were obese, but 42 per cent of women living below the poverty level were. Over 27 per cent of men with a college degree were obese, but 23 per cent of women with a college degree were.

Reuters

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