5 - I Blame Society

Summary

In wealthy countries, the least well-off put on the most weight, as do people who are constantly under stress. Put them together, stress and under-privilege, and you have the makings of an imperfect storm, differently made in different contexts – just add ultra-processed food (UPF). Which is cheap, easily available in most places, and a significant contributor to obesity-causing food environments. Can’t you blame society, really? Before you can think about addressing this question, it is first important to have some idea of what society is. At base, a society is a group of people who are socially connected in some way, and/or occupy the same social or geographical space, usually bathing in the same political and cultural water. Social status matters, and this influences their behaviour, including in ways that can influence their body weight. If what I eat is shaped by what other people eat, because we regularly eat together (as with family) or because we as friends share common interests that extend to our eating patterns, then this aspect of society might influence the likelihood (or not) of me putting on excess weight.