The Weight of Social Position: the Unequal Health Trajectories of Children With a Diagnosis of Overweight or Obesity

Abstract

This article studies the impact of the social position on the health trajectories of children who follow a therapy for overweight or obesity management. Based on a qualitative study conducted within a Swiss hospital with 29 families, the author explains how the social position influences children’s relationship to health norms. The study results show that children belonging to wealthy families internalize more easily the therapeutic prescriptions in their everyday lives than the children from underprivileged families.