Socio-economic Status and Social Capital in the Aetiology of Obesity

The message given to those who are overweight and obese is often to eat healthier and move more. However, it would cost the most deprived people in England 42% of their weekly income to follow the NHS eat well guide (Scott, Sutherland, & Taylor, 2018). Additionally, social factors also play a part in influencing obesity. So how do we expect people to adopt a better lifestyle when it is beyond their financial means, and when their social environment discourages them from developing healthier habits? Multiple factors influence the risk of people being overweight and obese: levels of social inequality, social capital, social class, income and individuals’ location of residence and their position on the ‘deprivation index’. However, a former Tier 3 Weight Management Centre was able to help overweight and obese people to achieve weight loss and improve wellbeing, even in areas of high deprivation and without the need for surgery. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research investigates the Socio-economic Status and Social Capital in the Aetiology of Obesity across three studies: (Study 1) using base data from the English Populations Health Survey for England; (Study 2) data from the Weight Management Centre, Rotherham “Lose it with RIO [Rotherham Institute for Obesity]” programme; and (Study 3) focus group discussions with attendees at Weight Management Centres in Hertfordshire, 2017. The modelling of the English Populations dataset (Study 1) showed that lack of social capital and lower levels of socio-economic status increased the risk of being obese. Analysis of the RIO dataset (Study 2) demonstrated successful weight loss at follow-up attendance after 6 months; with a similar improvement pattern shown for wellbeing across the range of BMI levels. Focus group discussions (Study 3) also found social capital elements spontaneously highlighted as reasons for becoming obese, while improving these helped overcome weight issues. This research has revealed that whilst social capital appears highly influential in increasing the risk of obesity, the latter can be successfully managed and reduced by weight management programmes which, by their nature, do not attempt to influence social cohesion. Our strong recommendation is that weight management centres, which fell victim to financial austerity between 2010-2017, be re-established as this research shows at least one of them to be effective. Despite the many risk factors associated with low socio-economic status suggesting the likelihood of obesity, this research demonstrates that obesity need not be inevitable given an appropriate programme of education, for exercise nutrition and psychological support.