An individual's physical environment can influence their risk of obesity by affecting their opportunities for physical activity. For instance, living in a neighborhood with high crime rates and few local amenities may deter people from walking or biking, thereby limiting their overall energy expenditure.

Google

The condition of being overweight or obese is caused by an energy imbalance where more calories are consumed than expended, leading to excess energy being stored as fat. This biological imbalance is influenced by a combination of factors, including genetics, the physical environment, and socioeconomic status.

Causes of Overweight and Obesity

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Socioeconomic status is a significant contributing factor to obesity. Individuals in poorer neighborhoods or urban areas may lack access to or be unable to afford healthy foods, forcing them to rely primarily on inexpensive, widely available, high-fat, and high-calorie fast food as their main source of nutrition.

Learn Before

Related