Global gender disparities in obesity: a review

Abstract

There is a global obesity pandemic. However, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among men and women varies greatly within and between countries, and overall, more women are obese than men. These gender disparities in overweight and obesity are exacerbated among women in developing countries, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. Yet, in developed countries, more men are overweight than women. Current knowledge suggests that myriad sociocultural dynamics throughout the world exacerbate gender disparities in excess weight gain. Different contextual factors drive gender differences in food consumption, and women often report consuming healthier foods, yet may consume more sugar-laden foods, than men. Acculturation, through complex sociocultural pathways, affects weight gain among both men and women. The nutrition transition taking place in many developing countries has also affected excess weight gain among both genders, but has had an even greater impact on the physical activity levels of women. Furthermore, in some countries, cultural values favor larger body size among women or men as a sign of fertility, healthfulness, or prosperity. As the global obesity pandemic continues, more research on gender disparities in overweight and obesity will improve the understanding of this pandemic.

Figure 1

Worldwide gender disparities in overweight and obesity prevalence. To illustrate gender disparities in overweight and obesity, we calculated the mean difference between female and male prevalence of overweight (or obesity). The bars >0 indicate the mean percentage of greater female (than male) overweight or obesity, whereas the bars <0 indicate the mean percentage of male (than female) overweight or obesity; thus, the greater the magnitude of the bar, the greater the gender disparity is in overweight or obesity. A, The mean percentage of difference between female and male overweight and obesity prevalence by World Bank income group. B, the mean percentage of difference between female and male overweight and obesity prevalence by World Bank region. OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.