Factors such as income, education, and access to healthcare, that influence lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes. These factors are both ascribed and achieved.
Lifestyle Behaviours
Individuals with lower income or education levels may have limited access to healthy food options, safe environments for physical activity, and healthcare services; further leading to unhealthy lifestyle behaviours
Obesity Prevalence
Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours such as poor diet and lack of physical activity contribute to risk of obesity
Health Outcomes
Obesity is associated with a range of health problems such as diabetes, higher cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and various types of cancer
Cumulative Inequality
Inequality in health outcomes can lead to disadvantaged experiences in many other areas of life as well. According to the life course approach, others experiences of disadvantage often cumulate on top of health inequality, which results in disproportionate experiences of inequality among already marginalized people
Unequal Power Balances
When minority groups are marginalized further, the distribution of inequality widens. When there is a bigger gap between the elites and minority groups, the elites have greater control over the minorities, which often results in continuing the exploitation and marginalization of these people through state sanctioned methods. Those in power entrench discrimination in legislation and social practice, which ultimately contributes in shaping a persons positionality in life