Exploring the Link Between Income and Health: Unravelling the Obesity Crisis

The waistline expansion trend is rising.

The fuel that caused this rise commenced around the late 1970s but really took off 20 years later. Indeed, we are talking about the obesity epidemic.

Since the early 1990s, the rise of obesity (a person with a BMI of 30 or higher) has surged, with figures in many countries skyrocketing from 15 per cent to a staggering 40 per cent by 2020 worldwide (mainly driven by the United States). These numbers are not linked to one specific research. These numbers are flowing out of papers and inundate health statistics from all corners of the globe.

Maybe the textile industry is one happy camper seeing how more garments are needed to clothe the growing population.

Unravelling the complexities behind this trend reveals a collection of factors, two of which stand out prominently: low income and the availability of cheap, ultra-processed foods.

In almost all Western nations, individuals facing poor access to quality food are disproportionately affected by obesity. This phenomenon, known as food insecurity, shows up as a significant source of stress for those grappling to provide for themselves and their families. It makes sense - these opt for the cheapest options to provide for their offspring and those they hold dear.

Ongoing research from the United Kingdom underscores the detrimental effects of food insecurity, with individuals experiencing heightened psychological and physical distress, lower diet quality, and higher BMIs. Part of this is the rising cost of treatment and medication, as obtained from the NHS.

The Insurance Hypothesis offers another emerging perspective on the relationship between income and overeating. This hypothesis leans very much towards the confirmation that when food access is uncertain, individuals hamster more to consume more to stockpile (and in excessive amounts to the cheaper food options out there) calories as a form of "insurance" against future scarcity.

And what do we stock? Food with expiry date set far in the future.

In environments where nutritious options are abundant and accessible, the urge to overeat diminishes.

Adding to these challenges is the growing availability of ultra-processed foods, almost omnipresent in many low-income areas. These products, characterised by long shelf lives and very low to next-to-zero nutritional value, are often the only affordable and accessible options, particularly in food deserts—areas devoid of grocery stores and healthy food providers. This scarcity of nutritious alternatives pushes forward a cycle of reliance on highly processed, calorie-dense foods, notorious for their ease of overconsumption. The only one happy here is the food industry.?

Sad but true.

Whether urban or rural, low-income communities bear the brunt of this dietary disparity, facing limited access to fresh ingredients, vegetables, and whole grains. As much as bridging the gap comes into play, the cost of transportation, higher turnover, and a plethora of ultra-processed ‘alternatives’ are present to stock the shelves, the issue remains and grows.

Ultra-processed foods are not only cheaper to produce; they are fabricated to let us eat more yet not give us those filling needs. As cities become bigger and bigger, and governments do little to tax the right amount of produce accurately, similar trends pave the way into society for making humanity bigger.

Nobody want to talk about this.

The facts need to be told.

Obesity is the biggest disease of mankind - bigger than even cancer. Your self-confidence is low and you become mentally sick | Jackky Bhagnani