Obesity - a Social Norm?

A few weeks ago I suggested that one reason obesity was taking off in the US is because it is OK to be fat. Well, there is currently a fascinating article in the Wall Street Jurnal [free to the public] which is actually a debate between two economists regarding the increase in obesity, and whether it is because of exitsing social norms - especially for lower income and non-professional people - or because of historically cheaper food prices and less strenuous physical work requirements.

It was a bit disconcerting to me to be the subject of a debate between two people who could care less about my personal situation. Nevertheless, I think there are a couple of interesting points.

One argument is that both rich and poor people are gaining weight, and that statistically rich people are actually becoming obese at a faster rate than poor people (though from a far lower base). So the argument here is that it is the availbility of food at ever decreasing prices, and the more sedentary nature of the modern work force that is responsible for the gain in weight of the US population.

The other side of the argument is that the poor are mired in rut in which obesity is the social norm and therefore there is little incentive to prevent weight gain or to go through the rigors to lose weight. Furthermore, according to this argument, people in this situation have little aspiration to professional employment where there is established discrimination against obesiy, and thus lack the incentive for weight control that may be more evident in the upwardly mobile individual.

There was also this interesting tidbit: "Changes in social norms about smoking, for example, seem to have made a difference in reducing [the] incidence [of] smoking. Thus, if it's the norm in your social group to be obese, then that is one less reason to do something to either prevent or reverse a very difficult problem."

My own thoughts are that 1) in my personal observations it does seem as of the wealthy are thinner than my more natural milieu; which might be called the lower middle class; 2) and why not - the wealthy can and do shop at Whole Foods etc - eating healthily is expensive; and 3) I still maintain that just speaking up - schools, doctors, friends, whatever - is the single most important thing anyone or any organization can do. [In other words, this is a backhanded way of saying I think there must be a change in social norms regarding overweight.]

In the end I firmly believe that at this point in the campaign against obesity, social norms have (or can have) the biggest effect. Look no further than the complete reversal in smoking norms between 1968 and 2006 and the resulting effect on the number of individuals smoking. But I really recommend that you read the article for yourself and see what the issue of social norms is all about.