In Olivia Willis’ article “Obesity rates are rising in Australia but its where you live that matters”, the health reporter highlights on the issue of obesity in Australia and its relation to how wealthy communities are. When it comes to health and wellbeing, Australia matches or outperforms many other countries with comparable income. However, Australia’s level of obesity has slowly but steadily risen to become the worst in the developed world, ranking in the worst third of OECD countries for obesity among people aged 15 and older. Obesity is a worldwide issue that effects quality of life for many individuals by increasing their risks of heart diseases, cancer as well as depression and other mental health problems. Although on the surface it may appear as only an issue of people's personal choices, the fact of the matter is the government also plays a big role in influencing peoples’ decisions. 'We have to realise that individuals cannot make good choices when those good choices are not available to them”
Health can be defined in many ways, as each culture, society and community interpret what it means to them according to their own beliefs, experience and knowledge. The World Health Organization defines health as 'a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity' (WHO 1946). Health can be influenced by many factors including social, economic, cultural and physical environment. These are known as determinants of health which are sometimes referred to as ‘the causes of the causes ’as it is widely accepted that the health of populations is shaped by social and economic structures, not just behavior and exposure to risks alone. A framework known as the ‘rainbow model’, developed by Göran Dahlgren and Margaret Whitehead in 1991, shows the relationship between an individual, their environment and health. The model displays layers of influences on health, starting with factors whose health impact is immediately obvious such as ‘individual life style factors’ extending to ‘social and community networks’, ‘living and working conditions’ and lastly ‘Socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions.’
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Two living and working conditions that can be considered determinants of health include; education and unemployment. Education can be defined as “the process of acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life”. The world health organization states that “low education levels are linked with poor health, more stress and lower self-confidence” (WHO 2020) research has proven that higher levels of education attained leads to longer life expectancy “people who graduate from college live at least 5 years longer than people who don’t finish high school” (APHA 2016) Additionally higher education correlates with lower rates of unemployment and increasing employment opportunities which is the major determinant for economic resources. The more educated individuals are, the more likely they are to make better informed health related decisions for themselves as well as their families, and therefore increasing their health and wellbeing. Unemployment occurs when a person who is actively looking for a job but cant find work. It is also considered a health determinant as job loss is associated with negative health effects. A well-paying job allows workers to live in higher socio-economic areas, where people tend to have better information on healthier life habits. Additionally suburbs in wealthy areas are usually greener with more space for parks and gardens, aiding in the treatment of mental health illnesses and reducing health inequalities (WHO 2020) By contrast unemployed individuals are more likely to suffer from stress due to lack of income, eventually leading to stress related health problems such as stroke, heart attack and arthritis.
Unemployment can bring forward many stressors in people’s lives, psychologically, mentally and physically. When looking at how it influences obesity it becomes apparent that individuals who have a low socio-economic status are at higher risk to become obese. Most unemployed individuals are struggling to make ends meet, leaving them with no choice but to go for the cheapest most feasible options such as frozen foods and fast food. Due to the little resources they have and the resources in their community they are financially unable to access healthier food options. In a study completed in America, areas in the country with a “high unemployment rate were associated with an increased likely hood of obesity”. And at the individual level “low material wealth and perception of low family wealth were associated with an increased likelihood of obesity and physical inactivity” (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 83, Issue 1, January 2006, Pages 139–145)
Furthermore, it is well established that lower levels of education is related to poor health literacy, which prevents the individual from adequately addressing health-related problems when they arise. A recent study found that “education and psychosocial characteristics do not only depict the cause for obesity but can also be seen as their consequence” (Kim, T., Roesler, N., & Knesebeck, O. 2017) They also found that higher psychological stress and lower social support are more likely in the less educated, these characteristics are commonly found in overweight and obese individuals. Although conclusively the study was unable to confirm that education is a direct cause of obesity, it shows that education and obesity are interrelated as the consequences of little education bring about behaviors that lead to unhealthy habits when it comes to diet and exercise.
In conclusion, we can look at the health determinants to see how our food habits may be influenced by our social, physical and economical environment. Having a competent level of education and a well paying job is shown to have positive effects on obesity rates, as individuals are more equipped to make better personal decisions regarding their health. Australia must intervene to tackle the obesity epidemic, by introducing affordable housing and ensuring that those suburbs with higher rates of obesity are given enough resources to enable individuals to be more physically active as well make educated health choices.
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