The chances of obesity are increased in poor areas

The longer a person lives in a poor area can be associated with obesity in later life, according to a new study from the University of Colorado Denver.

Lead researcher Adam Lippert, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, discovered that adolescents who grow up and consistently live in poor neighborhoods are more likely to become or remain obese in adulthood than their peers who live in more affluent areas. 

The study, which was published this month in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, showed that this pattern is much more pronounced in women than in men.

It further highlighted that when teens move out of low-income neighborhoods, their risk of obesity decreases, while moving into a poor area increases the risk. In addition, consistently living in poor areas puts young people at greatest risk for becoming or remaining obese in the future.

"The research demonstrates that the long-term residential experiences of teenagers can affect their life-long health," said Mr Lippert. "It's encouraging to see that the risk of obesity can be curtailed by moving out of low-income areas."