Obesigenic

This is a term that I came across in my studies today. It is not in the dictionary just yet and there are at least two spellings.

The way it is most often used is to describe environments - such as one's family or one's community or even country. Let's see if you can figure it out from this sentence.

The United States is obesigenic. In other words, the country is functioning in such a way as to promote obesity. Obesity is promoted by the following:

• the availability of high fat foods
• inappropriate portion sizes
• sugary drinks
• social customs that promote high fat eating (church suppers, work parties - Thanksgiving - just kidding :))
• lack of access to low calorie foods
• unsafe neighborhoods that prohibit physical activity
• jobs that require sitting
• family habits, etc
• genes

In some of the articles I previewed today there seemed a bit of blaming - but you have heard it before - heavy women tend to have certain behaviors that their children model and thus they too are heavy. Not just Mom's or even families for that matter. We tend to do what our friends and coworkers do as well. Researchers are increasingly saying it has to be both genes AND environment and that it is almost never just the genes.

Do you live, work, play in an obesity causing environment? Are you the model of health and fitness instead - what would be the word for health promoting environments? Salubrious I think...