Research

Mixed

Obesogenic food environments disproportionately increase obesity risk for women compared to men due to biological factors (hormonal modulation of taste/storage), gendered marketing targeting women, and structural burdens (unpaid labor/food security) that limit healthy food access.

Recognize that obesity is not just a personal failure but a result of an environment designed to promote weight gain, which affects women differently due to biological and social factors. Focus on structural changes (policy, food environment) rather than just individual willpower. For women, be aware that marketing and household responsibilities may create unique barriers to healthy eating that require specific, gender-responsive solutions.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
We provide an argument that there are gendered responses to food environments that place women at a higher risk of obesity particularly in relation to food industry influences, due to gendered roles and responsibilities in relation to paid and unpaid labour, and due to specific food security threats.
Briar McKenzie et al. · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · 2024

Why this rating

Narrative review citing observational data and established biological trends; lacks a single randomized controlled trial proving the specific interaction.

Source

Addressing the global obesity burden: a gender-responsive approach to changing food environments is needed

Briar McKenzie et al. · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · 2024

DOI 10.1017/s0029665124000120

narrative_reviewCited 11×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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