Obesity hits people with fewer economic, educational, or social resources hardest because it has a significant impact on the quality of diet, opportunities to exercise, and access to reliable information and medical care. This is reported by the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN) and the Spanish Society of Obesity (SEEDO).
They consider it a “double inequality,” as highlighted by both entities in a press release: people who suffer from obesity, in addition to living with this chronic disease, have to face a series of structural barriers to their treatment that people with higher income levels probably do not face.
Dr. Diego Bellido, president of SEEDO, states that “inequality is not a consequence, but rather part of the origin of the problem.” In his opinion, as stated in the press release, if social determinants are not addressed, “prevalence will not be reduced.” He adds that the people who need support the most are, precisely, those who have the most difficulty receiving it.
Give examples:
- “Those who live in rural areas” because “they often depend almost exclusively on the community pharmacy as the first health resource, without easy access to specialists or multidisciplinary units.”
- Those who have “precarious jobs or difficult schedules” because “they have less room to receive clinical follow-up or changes in habits”
In both cases, “the stigma weighs more,” since “many of these people delay the consultation because they fear being judged,” he points out.
Dr. Irene Bretón, coordinator of the SEEN Obesity Area, emphasizes the importance of implementing policies that address obesity from several fronts:
- Facilitate affordable access to healthy foods.
- Provide an urban environment with spaces that promote and encourage physical activity.
- Ensure health care that favors early detection, referral to multidisciplinary teams and access to effective treatments.
The clinical cost of obesity
SEEDO and SEEN emphasize in the statement that “obesity constitutes a public health problem that increases the risk of suffering from more than 200 diseases”, which affects “especially intensely the most vulnerable populations.”
They estimate that in Spain the cost of not addressing obesity exceeds 130,000 million euros annually, with a projection of reaching 161,000 million in 2030.
On a global scale, the prevalence of obesity will increase significantly, rising from 16% today to 39% in 2040. This increase will be particularly accelerated in lower-income regions.
According to SEEDO, achieving weight reductions considered clinically significant carries “a substantial benefit to the health system and society.”
“It is no longer a disease concentrated in rich countries, but rather it is moving towards those who have fewer resources to face it. Currently, 6% of the global burden is in poorer countries and in 2040 it will be 26%,” says Bellido.
