4 ms·

Obesity rates aren't consistent because access to cheap calories is not consistent across the globe. I don't mean to be glib, there are certainly other factors,

Obesity rates aren't consistent because access to cheap calories is not consistent across the globe. I don't mean to be glib, there are certainly other factors, but as a first order approximation obesity rates of a region or country are going to be proportional to how easy calories are to access, followed by how satiating those calories are

astrange 2y ago
Japan and Colorado have just as much access to cheap calories as Louisiana, but notably less obesity. Also, obesity rates have increased faster than access to calories has; it's a surprisingly recent problem.
- derektank 2y ago
  Even in the eighties, household spending on food was nearly 50% higher relative to overall consumption than today.[0] Japanese households today actually spend 16%(!) of their household income on food, compared to only 7% in the US.[1] Obviously there are multiple factors, as I said I think the relative satiety of food also plays a role. US food spending has been more or less static over the last two decades while obesity rates have continued to climb so cost can't explain everything (though as an aside, I do think lower costs probably take some time to have an effect). But even if there are multiple factors at play, cost really should not be discounted as a huge driver, especially if we're taking a public health approach to addressing the problem. If we just attribute obesity to individual moral failings, as some are wont to do, I think we're really doing a disservice to ourselves [0] https://www.cepr.net/in-the-good-old-days-one-fourth-of-income-went-to-food/ https://www.cepr.net/in-the-good-old-days-one-fourth-of-inco... [1] https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/average-household-expenditures/ https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/average-househo...

4 ms·

Obesity rates aren't consistent because access to cheap calories is not consistent across the globe. I don't mean to be glib, there are certainly other factors,

by derektank 2y ago

astrange 2y ago
Japan and Colorado have just as much access to cheap calories as Louisiana, but notably less obesity. Also, obesity rates have increased faster than access to calories has; it's a surprisingly recent problem.
- derektank 2y ago
  Even in the eighties, household spending on food was nearly 50% higher relative to overall consumption than today.[0] Japanese households today actually spend 16%(!) of their household income on food, compared to only 7% in the US.[1] Obviously there are multiple factors, as I said I think the relative satiety of food also plays a role. US food spending has been more or less static over the last two decades while obesity rates have continued to climb so cost can't explain everything (though as an aside, I do think lower costs probably take some time to have an effect). But even if there are multiple factors at play, cost really should not be discounted as a huge driver, especially if we're taking a public health approach to addressing the problem. If we just attribute obesity to individual moral failings, as some are wont to do, I think we're really doing a disservice to ourselves [0] https://www.cepr.net/in-the-good-old-days-one-fourth-of-income-went-to-food/ https://www.cepr.net/in-the-good-old-days-one-fourth-of-inco... [1] https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/average-household-expenditures/ https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/average-househo...