Research shows that there are regional differences in the medical and psychological damage of obesity

Individuals struggling with obesity face a number of social and health problems, but those problems are less severe if they live in areas where obesity is common, a new study suggests.

The findings are published in Psychological Science.

Researchers led by Jana Berkessel of the University of Mannheim in Germany collected archival data on more than 3.4 million people in the United States and the United Kingdom. They found evidence that obesity tends to cause milder medical and psychological damage when those who struggle with the disorder become less noticeable.

“To me, this means that at least some of the adverse consequences of obesity appear to be socially constructed and thus can be reduced,” Berkessel said.

The personal and societal toll of obesity is far-reaching. According to the World Health Organization, the global prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2021. In the US alone, healthcare costs associated with obesity are approximately $147 billion, according to government figures. Research shows that, compared to people without obesity, people with obesity have higher unemployment rates, fewer friends and poorer physical and mental health. They also face prejudice and discrimination.

But obesity rates vary among countries, states, provinces and other regional divisions. In some parts of the US, roughly half the population is obese, while in other regions obesity rates are as low as 5%.

Berkessel and her colleagues theorized that the harsh consequences of obesity vary depending on the prevalence of obesity in a given region.

“It is quite easy to imagine that obese individuals in regions with low obesity rates will be much more noticeable and will therefore have very different social experiences on a daily basis,” says Berkessel, who studies the effects of social context on our well-being. .

The researchers examined three large data sets of people living in thousands of American counties and hundreds of British districts. That data includes information on participants’ weight, height and area of ​​residence, as well as social, health and economic outcomes. They used a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher as an indicator of obesity. (Medical professionals consider a healthy BMI to be 18.5 to 24.9).

In one U.S. data set, researchers found that obesity rates are above average in the Midwest, the South and along parts of the East Coast, and below average in New England, Florida and the western states. In a British dataset, they found high obesity rates in central and northern parts of the country, especially in South Wales. The lowest figures were found in the southern region of the country, including London.

Berkessel and her team found that participants with obesity generally reported more relationship, economic and health disadvantages compared to participants without obesity. But they also found that those living in regions with low obesity rates were significantly more likely to be unemployed – and to report suboptimal health compared to their counterparts in areas with high obesity rates.

The research team also examined US data, including participants’ self-reported attitudes towards people’s weight. They found that weight bias appears to be lowest in areas with high rates of obesity, which could explain why obese people in those areas are less likely to be single and report poor health compared to people in areas with high weight bias.

Regardless of regional differences around weight bias, public health experts should emphasize the importance of reducing obesity because of its health risks, the researchers concluded.

Berkessel’s co-authors included Jochen E. Gebauer of the University of Mannheim and the University of Copenhagen, Tobias Ebert of the University of St. Gallen and Peter J. Rentfrow of the University of Cambridge.