A study based on the responses of more than 5,400 citizens to a questionnaire survey has illumined that obesity is associated with several factors, on top of an individual's present socioeconomic conditions such as childhood experiences, specifically those of abuse.
The research was carried out by Project Professor Tamori Yoshikazu from the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine's Division of Creative Health promotion et al.'s research group.
Conservatively, there is an inclination to observe overweight people as having no willpower to improve their lifestyle habits.
Nevertheless, this research has shown that in females, obesity in adulthood is associated not just "to factors like social environment," including education and economic conditions, among others, but childhood experience, as well, particularly, abuse.
This finding proposes that improving child welfare, like by rising prevention measures for abuse, will also contribute to the prevention of obesity in adults. These study findings were published in PLOS ONE scientific journal on November 25.
Study Findings
In 2018, authorities of the Kobe City distributed a survey were distributed to 20,000 citizens whose age ranges from 20 to 64 years.
The said survey involved aspects like the participants' living conditions, as well as their health problems, to gain an understanding of the health of residents.
Based on the survey results, Professor Tamori investigated the type of personal living conditions that were linked to obesity called "the cause of all kinds of diseases."
Consequently, more male respondents, about 27.2 percent, were found to be obese compared to female respondents comprising 10.6 percent, which is similar to the nationwide trend in Japan.
When the study investigators examined the social and personal factors associated with obesity, they found that there were differences in the following classifications between women who were obese and those who weighed averagely.
Specifically, differences were identified in the respondents' employment status, household economic conditions, educational background, extra-curricular activities when they were in middle and high school, economic conditions when they were 15, and negative experiences in childhood.
Other Factors Predicting Commencement of Obesity
Other factors that could forecast the commencement or onset of obesity include marital status, household financial conditions, educational background, and negative experiences during childhood.
Meanwhile, researchers did not find any statistical difference between the studied categories in male respondents. Furthermore, negative childhood experiences comprised physical violence from any or both parents, inadequate food or clothing, and emotional disturbance originating from insults or remarks of parents.
The findings in this study have shown that even though obesity is more prevalent in male participants, the social background of the individual is greatly associated with the onset of obesity among women.
Specifically, this research is a pioneer in Japan to present a link between childhood abuse experiences and obesity in adult women.
Significance of the Study
Reports have it that social and economic factors like wage and educational background are associated with obesity in women who live in developed nations.
The present research presented that in Kobe, Japan's representative large city, obesity in women is linked as well to socioeconomic background.
The main reasons for such an occurrence of obesity are conservatively considered to be excessive eating and lack of exercise.
As a result, there is a tendency to see overweight individuals as lacking in "self-discipline and being weak-willed." Nevertheless, this research was revealed that in women, the individual's social background is connected to the onset of obesity, as well.
This underscores the essentiality of taking into account social factors when executing policies to tackle obesity in particular. In relation to this, cases of childhood abuse counseling are reportedly increasing in Japan.
Lastly, this study specifies that improving child welfare by, for instance, strengthening actions against abuse could be linked to the prevention of obesity.
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