Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Handbook of Sociology of Aging pp 513–531Cite as

Obesity: A Sociological Examination

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research ((HSSR))

Abstract

Over the past several decades, the prevalence of obesity has increased across all ages and socio-economic groups in the United States. Obesity has been described as one of the most significant public health issues of the new century (National Institutes of Health 2004). The associated health problems have raised concerns about the costs of lost productivity, increased medical care needs, and the possible effects on longevity (Cutler et al. 2003; Finkelstein et al. 2005; Olshansky et al. 2005). Because of these concerns, researchers are interested in understanding the factors behind the increase and the potential for changing the trend. In this chapter, we will examine the patterns, explanations, and consequences of the increased prevalence of obesity for the older population. We will end with a discussion of the social implications of increasing obesity and social policy options for addressing the issue.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adam, Tanja C. and Elissa S. Eppel. 2007. “Stress, Eating and the Reward System.” Physiology & Behavior 91:449–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Time Use Survey. 2008. “Time Spent in Detailed Primary Activities, and Percent of the Civilian Population Engaging in Each Detailed Activity Category, Averages per Day by Sex.” Retrieved (http://www.bls.gov/tus/tables/a1_2008.pdf). Accessed on 2/7/2011.

  • Anderson, Patricia M., Kristin F. Butcher, and Philip B. Levine. 2003. “Maternal Employment and Overweight Children.” Journal of Health Economics 22:477–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Apovian, Caroline M., Carolin M. Frey, G. Craig Wood, Joanne Z. Rogers, Christopher D. Still, and Gordon L. Jensen. 2002. “Body Mass Index and Physical Function in Older Women.” Obesity Research 10:740–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnold, Alice M., Anne B. Newman, Mary Cushman, Jingzhong Ding, and Stephen Kritchevsky. 2010. “Body Weight Dynamics and Their Association with Physical Function and Mortality in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Heart Study.” Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 65:63–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atti, Anna Rita, Katie Palmer, Stefano Volpato, Bengdt Winblad, Diana DeRonchi, and Laura Fratiglioni. 2008. “Late-Life Body Mass Index and Dementia Incidence: Nine-Year Follow-Up Data from the Kungsholmen Project.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 56:111–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barlow, Sarah E. 2007. “Expert Committee Recommendations Regarding the Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment of Child and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity: Summary Report.” Pediatrics 120:S164–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baum, Charles L. and Christopher J. Ruhm. 2009. “Age, Socioeconomic Status, and Obesity Growth.” Journal of Health Economics 28:635–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beddhu, Srinivisan. 2004. “The Body Mass Index Paradox and an Obesity, Inflammation, and Artherosclerosis Syndrome in Chronic Kidney Disease.” Seminars in Dialysis 17:229–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beeri, Michal Schnaider, Uri Goldbourt, Jeremy M. Silverman, Shlomo Noy, James Schmeidler, Ramit Ravona-Springer, A. Sverdlick, and Michael Davidson. 2004. “Diabetes Mellitus in Midlife and the Risk of Dementia Three Decades Later.” Neurology 63:1902–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berthoud, Hans Rudolf, and Christopher Morrison. 2008. “The Brain, Appetite, and Obesity.” Annual Review of Psychology 59:55–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjerkeset, Ottar, Pal Romunstad, Jonathan Evans, and David Gunnell. 2007. “Association of Adult Body Mass Index and Height with Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide in the General Population.” American Journal of Epidemiology 167:193–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bleich, Sara N., David Cutler, Christopher Murray, and Alyce Adams. 2008. “Why Is the Developed World Obese?” Annual Review of Public Health 29:273–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bloomgarden, Zachary T. 2004. “Type 2 Diabetes in the Young.” Diabetes Care 27:998–1010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blundell, John E. 2002. “A Psychobiological System Approach to Appetite and Weight Control.” Pp. 43–49 in Eating Disorders and Obesity, edited by C.G. Fairburn and K.D. Brownell. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouchard, Claude. 2007. “The Biological Predisposition to Obesity: Beyond the Thrifty Gene Hypothesis.” International Journal of Obesity 31:1337–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brownell, Kelly D. and Thomas R. Frieden. 2009. “Ounces of Prevention: The Public Policy Case for Taxes on Sugared Beverages.” New England Journal of Medicine 360:1805–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchman, Aron S., Robert S. Wilson, Julia L. Bienias, Raj C. Shah, Denis A. Evans, and David A. Bennett. 2005. “Change in Body Mass Index and Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease.” Neurology 65:892–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser, Richard V. and John Cawley. 2008. “Beyond BMI: The Value of More Accurate Measures of Fatness and Obesity in Social Science Research.” Journal of Health Economics 27:519–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burton, Wayne N., Chen Yu Chen, Alyssa B. Schultz, Dee W. Edington. 1998. “The Economic Costs Associated with Body Mass Index in a Workplace.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 40:786–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton, Wayne N., D.J. Conti, Chen Yu Chen, Alyssa B. Schultz, Dee W. Edington. 1999. “The Role of Health Risk Factors and Disease on Worker Productivity.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 41:863–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carmelli, Dorit, M.R. McElroy, R. H. Rosenman. 1991. “Longitudinal Changes in Fat Distributions in the Western Collaborative Group Study: A 23 Year Follow-Up.” International Journal of Obesity 15:67–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carr, Deborah, Michael A. Friedman, and Karen Jaffe. 2007. “Understanding the Relationship Between Obesity and Positive and Negative Affect: The Role of Psychosocial Mechanisms.” Body Image 4:165–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cawley, John. 1999. Rational Addiction, the Consumption of Calories, and Body Weight. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.

    Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 2004. “The Impact of Obesity on Wages.” Journal of Human Resources 39:451–474.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cawley, John, Sara Markowitz, and John Tauras. 2004. “Lighting Up and Slimming Down: the Effects of Body Weight and Cigarette Prices on Adolescent Smoking Initiation.” Journal of Health Economics 23:293–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2004a. “Trends in Intake of Energy and Macronutrients: United States, 1971–2000.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 53:80–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 2004b. “Prevalence of No Leisure-Time Physical Activity: 35 States and the District of Columbia, 1988–2002.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 53:82–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 2008. “Crude and Age-Adjusted Percentage of Civilian, Noninstitutionalized Population with Diagnosed Diabetes, United States, 1980–2006.” http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/national/figage.htm

  • Chang, Virginia W. and Diane S. Lauderdale. 2005. “Income Disparities in Body Mass Index and Obesity in the United States, 1971–2002.” Archives of Internal Medicine, 165:2122–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chou, Shin Yi, Murray Grossman, Henry Saffer. 2004. “An Economic Analysis of Adult Obesity: Results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.” Journal of Health Economics 23:565–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christakis, Nicholas A. and James H. Fowler. 2007. “The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years.” New England Journal of Medicine 357:370–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Church, Timothy S., Corby K. Martin, Angela M. Thompson, Conrad P. Earnest, Catherine R. Mikus, Steven N. Blair. 2009. “Changes in Weight, Waist Circumference, and Compensatory Responses with Different Doses of Exercise among Sedentary, Overweight Postmenopausal Women.” PLoS One 4:e4515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook, Andrew and Beth Daponte. 2008. “A Demographic Analysis of the Rise in the Prevalence of the US Population Overweight and/or Obese.” Population Research and Policy Review 27:403–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crosnoe, Robert. 2007. “Gender, Obesity, and Education.” Sociology of Education 80:241–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crosnoe, Robert and Chandra Muller. 2004. “Body Mass Index, Academic Achievement, and School Context: Examining the Educational Experiences of Adolescents at Risk of Obesity.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 45:393–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cutler, David M., Edward L. Glaeser, and Jesse M. Shapiro. 2003. “Why Have Americans Become More Obese?” Journal of Economic Perspectives 17:93–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daviglus, Martha L., Kiang Liu, Lijing L. Yan, Amber Pirzada, Larry Manheim, Willard Manning, Daniel B. Garside, Renwai Wang, Alan R. Dyer, Philip Greenland, and Jeremiah Stamler. 2004. “Relation of Body Mass Index in Young Adulthood and Middle Age to Medicare Expenditures in Older Age.” Journal of the American Medical Association 292:2743–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davison, Kirsten K., Earl S. Ford, Mary E. Cogswell, and William H. Dietz. 2002. “Percentage of Body Fat and Body Mass Index Are Associated with Mobility Limitations in People Aged 70 and Older from NHANES III.” Journal of the American Geriatric Society 50:1802–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Krom, Mariken, Florianne Bauer, David Collier, R.A.H. Adan, Susanne E. laFleur. 2009. “Genetic Variation and Effects of Human Eating Behavior.” Annual Review of Nutrition 29:283304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Economos, Christina D., Raymond R. Hyatt, Jeanne P. Goldberg, Aviva Must, Elena N. Naumova, Jessica J. Collins, and Miriam E. Nelson. 2007. “A Community Intervention Reduces BMI z-score in Children: Shape Up Somerville First Year Results.” Obesity 15:1325–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elbel, Brian, Rogan Kersh, Victoria L. Brescoll, and L. Beth Dixon. 2009. “Calorie Labeling and Food Choices: A First Look at the Effects on Low-Income People in New York City.” Health Affairs 28:w1110–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espeland, M., et al. 2007. “Reduction in Weight and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes–One-year Results of the Look AHEAD trial. Diabetes Care 30:1374–1383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farooqi, I. Sadaf and Stephen O’Rahilly. 2007. “Genetic factors in Obesity.” Obesity Reviews 8:37–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferraro, Kenneth F., Roland J. Thorpe Jr., and Jody A. Wilkinson. 2003. “The Life Course of Obesity: Does Childhood Overweight Matter?” Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 58b:S110–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferraro, Kenneth F., Ya-ping Su, Randy J. Greteback, D. Randy Black, and Stephen F. Badylak. 2002. “Body Mass Index and Disability in Adulthood: A 20-Year Panel Study.” American Journal of Public Health 92:834–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferraro, Kenneth F. and Tara L. Booth. 1999. “Age, Body Mass Index, and Functional Illness.” Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 54B:S339–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finkelstein, Eric A., Christopher Ruhm, and Katherine Kosa. 2005. “Economic Causes and Consequences of Obesity.” Annual Review of Public Health 26:239–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flegal, Katherine M., Barry I. Graubard, David F. Williamson, and Mitchell H. Gail. 2005. “Excess Deaths Associated with Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity.” Journal of the American Medical Association 293:1861–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flegal, Katherine M., Margaret D. Carroll, Robert J. Kuczmarski, and Clifford L. Johnson. 1998. “Overweight and Obesity in the United States: Prevalence and Trends, 1960–1994.” International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders 22:39–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flegal, Katherine M., John A. Shepherd, Anne C. Looker, Barry I. Graubard, Lori G. Borrud, Cynthia L. Ogden, Tamara B. Harris, James E. Everhart, and Nathaniel Schenker. 2009. “Comparisons of Percentage Body Fat, Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, and Waist-Stature Ratio in Adults.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 89:500–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fonda, Stephanie J., Nancy H. Fultz, Kristi Rahrig Jenkins, Laura M. Wheeler, and Linda A. Wray. 2004. “Relationship of Body Mass and Net Worth for Retirement-Aged Men and Women.” Research on Aging 26:153–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fontaine, Kevin R., David T. Redden, Chenxi Wang, Andrew O. Westfall, and David B. Allison. 2003. “Years of Life Lost to Obesity.” JAMA 289:187–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ford, Earl S., David G. Moriarty, Matthew M. Zack, Ali H. Mokdad, and Daniel P. Chapman. 2001. “Self-Reported Body Mass Index and Health Related Quality of Life: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.” Obesity Research 9:21–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forshee, Richard A., Maureen L. Storey, David B. Allison, Walter H. Glinsman, Gayle L. Hein, David R. Lineback, Sanford A. Miller, Theresa A. Nicklas, Gary A. Weaver, and John S. White. 2007. “A Critical Examination of the Evidence Relating High Fructose Corn Syrup and Weight Gain.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 47:561–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galanos, Anthony N., Carl F. Pieper, Joan C. Cornoni-Huntley, Connie W. Bales, and Gerda G. Fillenbaum. 1994. “Nutrition and Function: Is There a Relationship between Body Mass Index and the Functional Capabilities of Community-Dwelling Elderly?” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 42:368–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, Dympna, Marjolein Visser, Dennis Sepulveda, Richard N. Pierson, Tamara Harris, and Steven B. Heymsfield. 1996. “How Useful is BMI for Comparison of Body Fatness across Age, Sex and Ethnic Groups?” American Journal of Epidemiology 143:228–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez, Jorge E., Beth Ann Johnson, Martha Selva, and James F. Sallis. 2004. “Violent Crime and Outdoor Physical Activity among Inner-City Youth.” Preventive Medicine 39:876–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenfield, Emily A. and Nadine F. Marks. 2009. “Violence from Parents in Childhood and Obesity in Adulthood: Using Food in Response to Stress as a Mediator of Risk.” Social Science and Medicine 68:791–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregg, Edward W., Yiling J. Cheng, Betsy L. Cadwell, Giuseppina Imperatore, Desmond E. Williams, Katherine M. Flegal, K.M. Venkat Narayan, and David F. Williamson. 2005. “Secular Trends in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors According to Body Mass Index in U.S. Adults.” JAMA 293:1868–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Handy, Susan L., Barbara McCann, Linda Bailey, Michelle Ernst, Lanier McRee, Emily Meharg, Reid Ewing, and Kate Wright. 2009. The Regional Response to Federal Funding for Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-09-15

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedley, Allison A., and Cynthia L. Ogden. 2006. “More for the Money? Differences in the Prevalence of Adult Obesity in the U.S. by Income Level – 1999–2002.” Paper presented at the 2006 Population Association of America Conference. Los Angeles, California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedley, Allison A., Cynthia L. Ogden, Clifford L. Johnson, Margaret D. Carroll, Lester R. Curtin, and Katherine M. Flegal. 2004. “Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among US Children, Adolescents, and Adults, 1999–2002.” JAMA 291:2847–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heiat, Asefeh, Viola Vaccarino, and Harlan M. Krumholz. 2001. “An Evidence Based Assessment of Federal Guidelines for Overweight and Obesity as They Apply to Elderly Persons.” Archives of Internal Medicine 161:1194–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, James O., Holly R. Wyatt, George W. Reed, and John C. Peters. 2003. “Obesity and the Environment: Where Do We Go from Here?” Science 299:853–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Himes, Christine L. 2000. “Obesity, Disease, and Functional Limitation in Later Life.” Demography 37:73–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Himes, Christine L. and Sandra L. Reynolds. 2005. “The Changing Relationship between Obesity and Educational Status.” Gender Issues 22:45–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, Tamara D., Carlos M. Grilo, and Robin M. Masheb. 2000. “Teasing History, Onset of Obesity, Current Eating Disorder Psychopathology, Body Dissatisfaction, and Psychological Functioning in Binge Eating Disorder.” Obesity Research 8:451–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janssen, Ian and Amy E. Mark. 2007. “Elevated Body Mass Index and Mortality Risk in the Elderly.” Obesity Reviews 8:41–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, Kristi R. 2004. “Obesity’s Effects on the Onset of Functional Impairment among Older Adults.” The Gerontologist 44:206–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, Samuel, David B. Allison, Steven B. Heymsfield, David E. Kelley, Rudolph L. Leibel, Cathy Nonas, and Richard Kahn. 2007. “Waist Circumference and Cardiometabolic Risk: A Consensus Statement from Shaping America’s Health: Association for Weight Management and Obesity Prevention; NAASO, The Obesity Society; the American Society for Nutrition; and the American Diabetes Association.” Obesity 15:1061–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koplan, J.P., Catharyn T. Liverman, and Vivica L. Kraak, eds. 2005. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance. Washington DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuk, Jennifer L., Travis J. Saunders, Lance E. Davidson, and Robert Ross. 2009. “Age-Related Changes in Total and Regional Fat Distribution.” Aging Research Reviews 8:339–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwan, Samantha. 2009. “Framing the Fat Body: Contested Meanings between Government, Activists, and Industry.” Sociological Inquiry 79:25–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaCroix, Andrea Z., Jack M. Guralnik, Lisa F. Berkman, Robert B. Wallace, and Suzanne Satterfield. 1993. “Maintaining Mobility in Late Life: Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, Physical Activity, and Body Mass Index.” American Journal of Epidemiology, 137:858–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lakdawalla, Darius N., Dana P. Goldman, and Baoping Shang. 2005. “The Health and Cost Consequences of Obesity among the Future Elderly.” Health Affairs, 24:W5R30–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lakdawalla, Darius N. and Tomas J. Philipson. 2009. “The growth of obesity and technological change.” Economics and Human Biology 7:283–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Launer, Lenore J., Tamara Harris, Catherine Rumpel, and Jennifer Madans. 1994. “Body Mass Index, Weight Change, and Risk of Mobility Disability in Middle-Aged and Older Women.” Journal of the American Medical Association 271:1093–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahan, L. Kathleen and Sylvia Escott-Stump. 2000. Krause’s Food, Nutrition, and Diet Therapy. Philadelphia PA, W. B. Saunders.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mifflin, Mark D., Sachiko T. St Jeor, Lisa A. Hill, Barbara J. Scott, Sandra A. Daugherty, and Young O. Koh. 1990. “A New Predictive Equation for Resting Energy Expenditure in Healthy Individuals.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51:241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mokdad, Ali H., Earl S. Ford, Barbara A. Bowman, William H, Dietz, Frank Vinicor, Virginia S. Bales, and James S. Marks. 2003. “Prevalence of Obesity, Diabetes, and Obesity-Related Health Risk Factors, 2001.” JAMA 289:76–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Must, Aviva and Richard S. Strauss. 1999. “Risks and Consequences of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity.” International Journal of Obesity 23:s2–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myrskala, Mikko and Virginia W. Chang. 2009. “Weight Change, Initial BMI, and Mortality among Middle- and Older-Aged Adults.” Epidemiology 20:840–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Health Statistics. 2009. Early Release of Selected Estimates Based on Data From the 2008 National Health Interview Survey. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/200906_07.pdf

  • National Institutes of Health. 1998. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health.

    Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 2004. Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research. National Institutes of Health: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neel, James V. 1962. “Diabetes Mellitus: A ‘Thrifty’ Genotype Rendered Determined by Progress?” American Journal of Human Genetics 14:353–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. 1989. “The Study of Natural Selection in Primitive and Civilized Human Populations-Update” Human Biology 61:811–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nestle, Marion. 2002. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nestle, Marion and M.F. Jacobsen. 2000. “Halting the Obesity Epidemic: A Public Health Policy Approach.” Public Health Reports 115:12–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, Samara Joy and Barry J. Popkin. 2004. “Changes in Beverage Intake between 1977 and 2001.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 27:205–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogden, Cynthia, Margaret D. Carroll, and Katherine M. Flegal. 2008. “High Body Mass Index for Age among US Children and Adolescents, 2003–2006.” JAMA 299:2401–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogden, Cynthia L., Margaret D. Carroll, Lester R. Curtin, Margaret A. McDowell, Carolyn J. Tabak, and Katherine M. Flegal. 2006. “Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in the United States, 1999–2004.” JAMA 295:1549–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogden, Cynthia L., Margaret D. Carroll, Margaret A. McDowell, and Katherine M. Flegal. 2007. “Obesity among Adults in the United States – No Change since 2003–2004.” NCHS Data Brief, No. 1. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogden, Cynthia L., Margaret D. Carroll, Lester R. Curtin, Molly M. Lamb, Katherine M. Flegal. 2010. “Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007–2008.” JAMA, 303:242–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okoro, Catherine A., Jennifer M. Hootman, Tara W. Strine, Lina S. Balhuz, and Ali H. Mokdad. 2004. “Disability, Arthritis, and Body Weight among Adults 45 years and Older.” Obesity Research 12:854–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, J. Eric. 2005. Fat Politics: The Real Story behind America’s Obesity Epidemic. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, Georgina and Jane Wardle. 1999. “Perceived Effects of Stress on Food Choice.” Physiology & Behavior 66:511–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olshansky, S. Jay, Douglas J. Passaro, Ronald C. Hershow, Jennifer Layden, Bruce A. Carnes, Jacob Brody, Leonard Hayflick, Robert N. Butler, David B. Allison, and David S. Ludwig. 2005. “A Potential Decline in Life Expectancy in the United States in the 21st Century.” New England Journal of Medicine 352:1138–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osher, Etty and Naftali Stern. 2009. “Obesity in Elderly Subjects: In Sheep’s Clothing Perhaps, But Still a Wolf!” Diabetes Care 32:S398–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paul, R.J. and J.B. Townsend. 1995. “Shape Up or Ship Out? Employment Discrimination against the Overweight.” Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal 8:133–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peeters, Anna, Jan J. Barendregt, Frans Willekens, Johan P. Mackenback, Abdullah Al Mamun, and Luc Bonneux. 2003. “Obesity in Adulthood and Its Consequences for Life Expectancy: A Life-table Analysis.” Annals of Internal Medicine 138:24–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peeters, Anna, Luc Bonneux, Wilma J. Nusselder, Chris De Laet, and Jan J. Barendregt. 2004. “Adult Obesity and the Burden of Disability throughout Life.” Obesity Research 12:1145–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Philipson, Tomas J. and Richard A. Posner. 2003. “The Long-Run Growth in Obesity as A Function Of Technological Change.” Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 46:S87–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popper, R., G. Smits, Herbert L. Meiselman, Edward Hirsch. 1989. “Eating in Combat: A Survey of U.S. Marines.” Military Medicine 154:619–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prentice, Andrew M. and Susan A. Jebb. 2001. “Beyond Body Mass Index.” Obesity Reviews 2:141–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preston, Samuel H. 2005. “Deadweight? The Influence of Obesity on Longevity.” New England Journal of Medicine 352:1135–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Puhl, Rebecca M. and Kelly D. Brownell. 2001. “Bias, Discrimination, and Obesity.” Obesity Research 9:788–805.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • —  —  —. Brownell. 2003. “Psychosocial Origins of Obesity Stigma: Toward Changing a Powerful and Pervasive Bias.” Obesity Reviews 4:213–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reither, Eric N., Robert M. Hauser, and Yang Yang. 2009. “Do Birth Cohorts Matter? Age-Period-Cohort Analyses of the Obesity Epidemic in the United States.” Social Science and Medicine 69:1439–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reuser, Mieke, Luc Bonneux, and Frans Willekens. 2008. “The Burden of Mortality of Obesity at Middle and Old Age is Small: A Life Table Analysis of the US Health and Retirement Survey.” European Journal of Epidemiology 23:601–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, Sandra L. and Christine L. Himes. 2007. “Cohort Differences in Adult Obesity in the U.S.:1982–1996.” Journal of Aging and Health 19:831–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, Sandra L., Y. Saito, and Eileen M. Crimmins. 2005. “The Impact of Obesity on Active Life Expectancy in Older American Men and Women.” The Gerontologist 45:439–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberto, Christina, Peter D. Larsen, Henry Agnew, Jenny Baik, and Kelly D. Brownell. 2010. “Evaluating the Effects of Menu Labeling on Food Choices and Intake.” American Journal of Public Health 100:312–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roehling, Mark V. 1999. “Weight-based Discrimination in Employment: Psychological and Legal Aspects.” Personnel Psychology 52:969–1016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothblum, Esther D. 1992. “The Stigma of Women’s Weight: Social and Economic Realities.” Feminism and Psychology 2:61–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sallis, James F., Brian E. Saelens, Lawrence D. Frank, Terry L. Conway, Donald J. Slymen, Kelli L. Cain, James E. Chapman, and Jacqueline Kerr. 2009. “Neighborhood Built Environment and Income: Examining Multiple Health Outcomes.” Social Science and Medicine 68:1285–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santry, Heena P., Daniel L. Gillen, and Diane S. Lauderdale. 2005. “Trends in Bariatric Surgical Procedures.” JAMA 294:1901–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, Marlene B., Heather O’Neal Chambliss, Kelly D. Brownell, Steven N. Blair, and Charles Billington. 2003. “Weight Bias among Health Professionals Specializing in Obesity.” Obesity Research 11:1033–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serdula Mary K., D. Ivery, Ralph J. Coates, David S. Freedman, David F. Williamson, and Tim Byers. 1993. “Do Obese Children Become Obese Adults? A Review of the Literature.” Preventive Medicine 22:167–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, Meena, Vinaya Simha, and Abhimanyu Garg. 2006. “Review: Long-term Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Body Weight, Comorbidities, and Nutritional Status.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 91:4223–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silventoinen, Karri, Susana Sans, Hanna Tolonen, D. Monterde, Kari A. Kuulasmaa, Hugo E.C. Kesteloot, and J.O. Tuomilehto. 2004. “Trends in Obesity and Energy Supply in the WHO MONICA Project.” International Journal of Obesity 28:710–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, June, Jianwn Cai, Elsie R. Pamuk, David F. Williamson, Michael J. Thun, and Joy L. Wood. 1998. “The Effect of Age on the Association between Body-mass Index and Mortality.” New England Journal of Medicine 338:1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Story, Mary, Karen M. Kaphingst, and Simone French. 2006. “The Role of Schools in Obesity Prevention.” The Future of Children 16:109–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sturm. Roland. 2007. “Increases in Morbid Obesity in the USA: 2000–2005.” Public Health 121:492–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sturm, Roland, Jeanne S. Ringel, Tatiana Anderyeva. 2004. “Increasing Obesity Rates and Disability Trends.” Health Affairs 23:199–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorpe, Roland and Kenneth Ferraro. 2004. “Aging, Obesity, and Mortality: Misplaced Concern about Obese Older People?” Research on Aging 26:108–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torres, Susan J., and Caryl A. Nowson. 2007. “Relationship between Stress, Eating Behavior, and Obesity.” Nutrition 23:887–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Transportation Research Board and institute of Medicine. 2005. Does the Built Environment Influence Physical Activity? Examining the Evidence. Special Report 282. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Truong, Khoa Dang, and Roland Sturm. 2005. “Weight Gain Trends across Socioeconomic Groups in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 95:1602–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, Larry A., and Glenn M. Friedman. 1998. “Obesity and Absenteeism: An Epidemiologic Study of 10,825 Employed Adults.” American Journal of Health Promotion 12:202–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uretsky, Seth, Franz H. Messerli, Sripal Bangalore, Annette Champion, Rhonda M. Cooper-Dehoff, Qian Zhou, and Carl J. Pepine. 2007. “Obesity Paradox in Patients with Hypertension and Coronary Artery Disease.” American Journal of Medicine 120:863–870.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2007. Computer and Internet Use in the United States: October 2007. http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/computer/2007.html

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2008. Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. Washington, DC:U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Surgeon General. Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences. Retrieved ([http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_consequences.htm]. Rockville: MD. 2001).

  • Villareal, Dennis T., Caroline M. Apovian, Robert F. Kushner, and Samuel Klein. 2005. “Obesity in Older Adults: Technical Review and Position Statement of the American Society for Nutrition and NAASO, The Obesity Society.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 82:923–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, Jeffrey I., R.S. Schwartz, A.Z. LaCroix, Richard F. Uhlmann, and Robert A. Pearlman. 1995. “Involuntary Weight Loss in Older Outpatients: Incidence and Clinical Significance.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 43:329–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Shirley S., Kelly D. Brownell, and Thomas A. Wadden. 2004. “The Influence of the Stigma of Obesity on Overweight Individuals.” International Journal of Obesity 28:1333–1337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitmer, Rachel A., Erica P. Gunderson, Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, Charles P. Quesenberry, Jr., and Kristine Yaffe. 2005. “Obesity in Middle Age and Future Risk of Dementia: A 27 Year Longitudinal Population Based Study.” British Medical Journal, 330:1360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, Lana J., Julie A. Pasco, Margaret J. Henry, Felice N. Jacka, Seetal Dodd, Geoffrey C. Nicholson, Mark A. Kotowicz, and Michael Berk. 2009. “Lifetime Psychiatric Disorders and Body Composition: A Population Based Study.” Journal of Affective Disorders 118:173–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, David F. 1993. “Descriptive Epidemiology of Body Weight and Weight Change in U.S. Adults.” Annals of Internal Medicine 119:646–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, Anne M., and Graham A. Colditz. 1998. “Current Estimates of the Economic Cost of Obesity in the United States.” Obesity Research 6:97–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. 2002. World Health Report: 2002. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Behavioral and Social Science, St. Edwards University, Austin, TX, USA

    Christine L. Himes

Authors
  1. Christine L. Himes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Valerie Episcopo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christine L. Himes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 97331-2302, Oregon, USA

    Richard A. Settersten

  2. Dept. Sociology, University of Texas, Austin, University Station 1, Austin, 78712, Texas, USA

    Jacqueline L. Angel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Himes, C.L., Episcopo, V. (2011). Obesity: A Sociological Examination. In: Settersten, R., Angel, J. (eds) Handbook of Sociology of Aging. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7374-0_32

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation