Men with higher incomes are more likely to be overweight

December 18, 2008 in Men's Health, Nutrition Topics in the News, Weight Management

Men with higher incomes are more likely to be overweight

Wealthier men are more likely than lower income men to be overweight, perhaps because affluent men tend to eat out more, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.

This most recent analysis of the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey looked at the heights, weights and eating habits of 12,428 adults.

In 2004, the odds of affluent men being overweight were about twice the odds of men in the lowest income group.

Income did not affect women's risk of being overweight, despite the fact that women from higher income households ate out more frequently than their lower income peers.

It was previously thought that people in higher income brackets were less physically active due to less leisure time or greater time spent sitting at computers.

This latest report shows that is not the case - the deciding factor for thicker waistlines among higher income men seems to be how often they eat out.

People who eat out tend to consume more calories and have a higher body mass index (BMI) than those who usually eat meals prepared at home.

BMI is a tool used to determine a person's healthy weight range for their height. Click here to find out what yours is.

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