Factors that make obesity so common

Socioeconomic Factors

As the world becomes more under-nourished, the number of overweight people increases. The wealthier people tend to be the ones with a more prominent overweight problem, and for the less-wealthy, under-nutrition is the problem. Even when overweight and underweight co-exist in the population, the overweight issue will prevail.

Modernization as a factor

The growth of industry and technology has led to a massive production of food and has allowed a major decrease in the physical activity of the population. Both these results of modernization have contributed to the increased rates of obesity worldwide.

The number of women entering the workforce has increased with economic development. This results in a community that is more dependent of convenient food and it has increased the use of labor and time saving appliances such as microwaves.

Transportation has changed because now there is rise in the number of people who own cars, and that means there is a decrease in the number of people walking or riding a bike in order to get around.
Modern appliances are used at home in order to make everyday tasks easier. Microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines, and vacuums all take away the opportunities to do some manual lablor.
There are so many ready-made foods and ingredients that good food has become so convenient and easy that people consume large amounts of it.
For a while now, there has been an increase in television watching along with computer and video game use. This has contributed to obesity because it takes away hours that could have been spent on more productive recreational activities.

Computerization and better technology have contributed to a severe decline in the importance of physically demanding manual labor. Elevators, escalators, and automatic doors allow us to avoid any daily activities such as simply climbing some stairs.

Lastly, all the crimes that are committed in urban areas prevent women, children, and older people from going out of their houses alone for exercise or just a walk to the park to relax.