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Poverty causes obesity. Low-income families need to be better off to eat well.

Poverty causes obesity. Low-income families need to be better off to eat well.

Larry Elliot to the point — and right — as ever:

If obesity is linked to poverty – which is what the evidence suggests – then the way to reduce obesity is to reduce poverty.


Two things about how poverty itself is moralised, and by extension demonised. Firstly, through making the poor “other”; a coherent group, recognisably different from “us”. Secondly, through assigning a weird sense of agency to environment. In the past, they misspent our well-earned money, mostly on flat-screen TVs. But then consumer goods became cheap and easy to buy second hand. Now, they can’t make simple, healthy choices. Or: Why not buy lettuce rather than Coca-Cola?

By Larry Elliott. Originally published 09/08/20.

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https://www.thisdaysportion.com/links/2020-08-09-poverty-and-obesity

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