Yesterday we discussed the link between lack of sleep and obesity, here. And today we examine reports that poverty is linked to weight gain. Why does this matter? Being overweight puts one at risk for many diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. Anything that helps us understand and perhaps counter relentlessly increasing obesity is important.

And so, in this HealthDay News article via Forbes, we learn that poor, older teenagers are more likely to be overweight than their well-off counterparts.

In a study that appears in the May 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, HealthDay News reports that being overweight was more than 50 percent more likely in older teens living below the poverty line, compared to those living above the poverty line.

What did the study feel were the reasons for this striking difference in weight profiles between the poor and the more affluent: according to the article: physical inactivity, increasing consumption of sweetened beverages and skipping breakfast?

Significantly, the study authors report that this link of obesity to poverty has emerged recently. In the '70s and '80s, there was no difference at all. “The researchers didn't find any significant difference in the prevalence of overweight in young teens (12-14) based on income levels. However, the difference was clear in older teens (15-17). The rate of overweight in older adolescents from poor.