The weight of culture: Societal individualism and flexibility explain large global variations in obesity

Obesity rates have been rising steeply across the globe in recent decades, posing a major threat to global human health. Despite this almost universal increase, differences between countries remain striking, even among equally developed societies.

Citation:
Akaliyski P, Minkov M, Li J, Bond MH, Gehrig S. The weight of culture: Societal individualism and flexibility explain large global variations in obesity. Soc Sci Med. 2022;307

Keywords:
BMI; Culture; Flexibility; Individualism; Obesity; Overweight; Values; public health

Abstract:
Obesity rates have been rising steeply across the globe in recent decades, posing a major threat to global human health. Despite this almost universal increase, differences between countries remain striking, even among equally developed societies.