Four Decades of Educational Differences in Overweight and Obesity in the United States: Period and Cohort Patterns

Both body weight and educational attainment have risen dramatically. In most industrialized populations, more educated people are less heavy than the less educated, and these differences may have changed over time in some populations. Using the cross-sectional series of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, this paper describes the period and cohort patterns of educational differences in overweight and obesity among non-Hispanic whites and blacks in the United States from 1971 to 2010. As period and cohort factors captures influences at different stages of the life course, their comparison would help to better understand the link between education and body weight.