Research
Adherence
In developing countries, lower socioeconomic status (SES) is increasingly associated with higher obesity prevalence, reversing the trend seen in developed nations where higher SES often correlates with lower obesity.
If you have a limited budget, prioritize foods that offer better nutritional value per calorie, even if they cost more per weight. Be aware that cheap, energy-dense foods are often the default due to economic constraints.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
More recently, the SES-obesity relationship in developing countries has been reported to bear similarities to that in developed ones.
Why this rating
Based on observational studies and reviews cited in the paper.
Source
Overweight and Obesity Epidemic in Developing Countries: A Problem with Diet, Physical Activity, or Socioeconomic Status?
Trishnee Bhurosy et al. · The Scientific World JOURNAL · 2014
DOI 10.1155/2014/964236
narrative_reviewCited 512×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- In developing countries, the obesity epidemic is primarily driven by 'nutrition transition'—defined as improved food access combined with decreased physical activity—rather than solely by individual dietary choices or lack of willpower.Moderate
- Women in developing countries are at higher risk for obesity than men, and this gender disparity persists across income levels, with female obesity rates often exceeding male rates even in high-income countries.Moderate
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