Poverty-Obesity Link is More Prevalent for Women Than Men, Study Shows

AUSTIN, Texas — Adolescent girls living in economically disadvantaged families are more likely than their male counterparts to become overweight or obese, according to new research from The University of Texas at Austin. The study, published online this month in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior , shows long-lasting consequences of economic hardship in childhood for the risk of obesity in adulthood. The findings emphasize the need for programs and policies addressing the adverse health effects of socioeconomic disadvantage in childhood and adolescence, says Tetyana Pudrovska , assistant professor of sociology and lead author of the study. Using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, the researchers tracked patterns of weight gain among more than 10,000 men and women from high school graduation in 1957 to later career stages in 1993. The findings show that economic disadvantage in early life is significantly linked to higher body mass at age 18 and a greater risk of obesity at age 54. This link is the strongest among women and absent or inconsistent among men. In addition to health risks, obese and overweight women face multiple social and economic disadvantages, Pudrovska says.