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An environment that promotes excessive weight gain and obesity by encouraging unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity. It includes physical, social, and economic factors—such as easy access to high-calorie foods, limited opportunities for exercise, and cultural or societal influences—that increase the risk of obesity by supporting behaviors that lead to increased fat accumulation.
Author and reviewer
Editorial responsibilityReferences and further reading
- Lake, A., & Townshend, T. (2006). Obesogenic environments: exploring the built and food environments. Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 126(6), 262–267. https://doi.org/10.1177/1466424006070487 View source
- Townshend, T., & Lake, A. (2017). Obesogenic environments: Current evidence of the built and food environments. Perspectives in Public Health, 137(1), 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913916679860 View source
How to cite this entry
Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology. (2026). Obesogenic Environment. The Center for Nutritional Psychology.
https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/encyclopedia/obesogenic-environment/Know a term that belongs in the Encyclopedia?
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