As others have said, obesity is not a symptom of wealth, as much as it's a symptom of poverty, as the two conditions are highly correlated. There are things such as food deserts, for instance on the south side of Chicago, there is plenty of healthy eating near UChicago where the rich people live. Head West or South into the "war zone" neighborhoods, and you'll see convenient stores everywhere selling mostly processed junk food that is addicting to those nearby, and also may be the cheapest/closest choice.
Furthermore, there has been some research to indicate that those in poverty may be less able to save money, psychologically speaking, and may have spending patterns that are not useful in alleviating poverty. For instance, if you have very little wealth but a decent income, say $25-35k as an individual, you may be able to afford an iPhone or nicer car or jewelry, however your spending on those items is now a confounder of the overall wealth gap. Some of those who are poor may be so because they do not exercise the set of behaviors that leads to wealth aggregation.
Overall, globally speaking, I do agree we are in a period where vast numbers of asians and africans are being lifted out of poverty, even as those poor in some developed nations are still in poverty within their own countries. If we look at a multi-national level, however, the trend is towards more middle class individuals world-wide.
Furthermore, there has been some research to indicate that those in poverty may be less able to save money, psychologically speaking, and may have spending patterns that are not useful in alleviating poverty. For instance, if you have very little wealth but a decent income, say $25-35k as an individual, you may be able to afford an iPhone or nicer car or jewelry, however your spending on those items is now a confounder of the overall wealth gap. Some of those who are poor may be so because they do not exercise the set of behaviors that leads to wealth aggregation.
Overall, globally speaking, I do agree we are in a period where vast numbers of asians and africans are being lifted out of poverty, even as those poor in some developed nations are still in poverty within their own countries. If we look at a multi-national level, however, the trend is towards more middle class individuals world-wide.