Social aspects of nutrition- the obesogenic environment

Question 1

Is obesity increasing in the UK?

Answer 1

Yes, being overweight and obese is increasingly becoming the norm for adults in Britain

Question 2

What percent of Male adults are either overweight or obese?

Answer 2

• 67 % of men are either overweight or obese

- This includes 26% who were obese

Question 3

What percent of females are either overweight or obese?

Answer 3

• 60% of women are either overweight or obese,

- This includes 29% who were obese

Question 4

What percent of year 6 children were classified as obese?

Answer 4

-20% of year 6 children classified as obese

Question 5

What BMI is classified as obese?

Answer 5

-30kgm2 or over

Question 6

Is obesity more prevalent in higher or least deprived areas?

Answer 6

-Obesity is more prevalent in higher deprived areas

Question 7

What does the term ‘obesogenic environment’ mean

Answer 7

The term ‘Obesogenic environment’ refers to the role that environmental factors can play in determining both nutrition and pathway

Question 8

What are the major casual factors that cause obesity?

Answer 8

• Food consumption,
• Food production,
• Societal and cultural influences,
• Biology,
• Energy balance,
• Individual psychology,
• individual activity,
• Activity environment.

Question 9

Key things about dietary intake and social behaviour

Answer 9

• Eating and physical activity are the two critical behaviours with the potential to influence positive energy balance in the body,
• Material conditions of social life rather than knowledge of ‘healthy’ behaviour that shape food consumption and physical activity,
• There has been a systematic reduction in energy expenditure this is due to fewer manual jobs and increase in sedentary office jobs with longer hours. This means there are fewer opportunities for exercise

Question 10

What are the main factors related to the socio-cultural context of rise in obesity?

Answer 10

• Media influences- exposure to food advertising,
• Social acceptability of ‘fatness’
• loss of social-cultural variation of families eating together,
• Greater availability of passive entertainment such as TV,
• The Affordability of processed food,
• Growth of working time, lack of time for food preparation,
• Social pressures to consume,
• Reduced emphasis of physical activity in schools,
• Greater urbanisation
• Car ownership/reliance

Question 11

What are the main social differences in food consumption

Answer 11

• There are significant socio-economic class differences in dietary intake balance,
• Diet is implicated as a major factor in the overall poorer health outcomes of those in lower SECs in UK,
• Partly due to affordability of healthy food, family size
• M/C Mothers have been found to have as their primary consideration the ‘goodness’ or health value of foods,
• W/C Mothers main considerations tend to prioritise the cost of food, and preferences of family over health value,
• Higher educated individuals have more frequent family meals, and more affluent individuals spend more time at the table with their household members. Proven to have health benefits