More obesity and diabetes among adults at risk of poverty

Overweight is more prevalent among men than among women: 53 percent of the male and 47 percent of the female population are overweight. At 41 percent, men are more likely to be moderately overweight than women (31 percent). Obesity, on the other hand, is more common among women with a share of nearly 17 percent, versus 12 percent among men. The proportion of overweight adults has been stable for years.

More type 2 diabetes among overweight adults

In 2021, 5 percent of the adult population suffered from type 2 diabetes. The percentage of over-18s diagnosed with this type of diabetes was three times higher among those with moderate overweight (6 percent) and six times higher among those with obesity (12 percent) than among those without overweight (2 percent). In all age groups, type 2 diabetes is more prevalent among people who are (severely) overweight than among their peers without overweight.

Higher overweight and obesity rates among adults at risk of poverty

In the period 2018-2021, overweight was seen more frequently among adults with an income below the low-income threshold than among adults with a higher income: 56 percent versus 51 percent. Nineteen percent of those on a low income suffered from obesity, versus 15 percent of those living above the low-income threshold.

Of the adult population with a long-term income below the low-income threshold, 60 were overweight, 40 percent were moderately overweight and 20 percent were obese. In addition, type 2 diabetes was also more widespread among those on a low or long-term low income (9 and 10 percent respectively).

Almost a quarter of overweight adults with a long-term low income have diabetes

In the group of moderately or severely overweight adults, type 2 diabetes was seen relatively more often among low incomes than among higher incomes. Among moderately overweight adults, 6 percent of those living above the low-income threshold had type 2 diabetes; this was 9 percent among the low incomes and 11 percent among the long-term low incomes. Among obese over-18s, this was 12 percent for those on an income above the low-income threshold, 18 percent for those on a low income and 23 percent for those with a long-term low income.

How does CBS obtain these figures?

The results have been taken from the National Health Survey. Based on a sample from the Personal Records Database (BRP), people were asked to complete a survey on perceived health, long-term conditions and height and weight, among other things. By linking with data on income from the Integral Income and Wealth Statistics (IIVS), it was determined whether survey participants were part of a household with (long-term) income below the low-income threshold.