We all know that people with low socioeconomic status in developed countries are heavier.
Both are true, AND the contribute of Shaun Sabico is true as well. Our genoma is the result of our evolution: in an hostile environment (the environment men faced at the time when we were hunters and gatherers) a genoma apt to save and accumulate fat was favoured in our evolution (because you never know when you can eat next time!), and many of us still have that set of genes. In the last few centuries (moreover in the very last) we are able to eat every day and several times a day, to have food always available, and most heavy work needed to achieve that result is no longer needed. We have machines to work our land, to move from one point to another and we no longer have to stand up even for changing the channel on our TV set. Of course in this environment that set of genes is no longer favoured and obese people die earlier and procreate less than normal weight people, but evolution is slow!
Thank you Shaun and Fabio for your important contributions.
What Fabio mentioned about genome evolution; I think these effects can be observed among those born after WW II in Netherlands. Called the Dutch famine of 1944 or Hongerwinter who were then exposed for several chronic diseases including obesity.
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