Reserving Obesity for Rural, Poor, Black, and Hispanic Persons

In a perverse way, policies to address obesity have been effective in the U.S. But only for specific communities. As the recognition of obesity as a threat to public health has grown, some communities have grown more resistant to it. Others have not and disparities in obesity have grown steadily – between rural and urban, Black and White, Hispanic and non-Hispanic communities. A new study in Childhood Obesity tells us these disparities may arise from environments that are more or less likely to promote obesity. Andrew Kaczynski and colleagues conclude:

“Low-income counties and those with more racial/ethnic minority residents, especially in rural areas, had less supportive physical activity and healthy eating environments for youth.

“Such disparities could be a function of diverse policy or economic factors (e.g., lower tax bases that inhibit public support for amenities such as parks or farmers markets). Likewise, poorer obesogenic environments in high minority counties may be a result of systemic racism or similar deleterious policies (e.g., redlining), as has been shown in other studies related to parks and food environments.”

Privileged Health

Nothing is surprising about the accumulation of factors that favor good nutrition and healthy active lives in communities that enjoy social and economic privilege. People work hard so that they can live in peace, health, and prosperity.

But widening gaps between rich and poor weigh upon all of us. When people have no access to the ingredients for healthy active lives, the optimism and productivity to fuel a vibrant economy can quickly fade. It shows up in social ills and discontentment that inevitably erode our health.

At the root of growing obesity in rural, poor, Black, and Hispanic communities is a disparity in access to the foundation for healthy, active lives. Proposals to warn and tax those communities into better health will inevitably fail. It amounts to finger-wagging and punishment. To build up healthy communities is not easy, but it is the only way to reverse the trend of widening disparities in obesity and health.

Click here for the new study in Childhood Obesity and here for further perspective.

Ashaninka Girl, photograph by Pedro França / Ministério da Cultura Brazil, licensed under CC BY 2.0

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July 20, 2024