Community Factors

   Having a low socioeconomic status can have a great impact on obesity. Since healthier foods tend to be more expensive, people with a low SES may buy more unhealthy food for cheap. Because of this, people with low SES are at a much higher risk for being obese or overweight. Not only is healthy food expensive, but gym memberships and health insurance may not be affordable to people with a low SES. The Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health did a study on low SES, obesity, and the health-related quality of life. What they concluded was that people with a low socioeconomic status are at a higher risk of being obese and tend to have a lower health-related quality of life compared to those at a higher socioeconomic status. People that are obese and have a low SES also have a lower level of health-related quality of life compared to people that are at a normal weight and are at the same socioeconomic level. This is a hard barrier to break for many people. Having a low SES is not something that can be changed over night. Healthy food prices will almost always be higher than food that is not as healthy. As health educators, we must be aware of this and show our students and clients that there may be ways around it. If certain unhealthy activities, such as cigarette smoking and drinking alcohol can be cut out of their lives, they may be able to afford the more expensive, healthier food. On the same note, we must encourage people to exercise, whether or not they can afford a gym membership. Taking a jog outside, riding a bike, and playing basketball at a park are activities that are free or fairly cheap. As long as physical activity is somehow incorporated in people's lives, they may be able to reduce their risk of being overweight or obese.
   The geography of where a person lives may play a role in increasing the risk of obesity. If a person lives in a rural area, he or she may not have enough access to health care, exercise facilities, doctors, etc. He or she may have to travel very far in order to reach a doctor's office. The nearest exercise facility could be twenty or more miles from his or her house. The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences did a study on American Indians living in very rural areas in the northern plains of the United States. What they have found is that the American Indians living in this area had a higher rate of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity than the national level. It is interesting to look at rural, urban, and suburban areas and see how they differ in their amounts of people who are obese. What health educators need to do is help the people in rural areas to find better access to health care. We must encourage that although living a health lifestyle may be pricey at times, it is important to do so because of the high rates of obesity in rural areas.