Does Voting Conservative Make You Fat? Conservative supporters ‘more likely to be obese’, study finds… but right-wing doctor gives you a better chance of losing weight

A study has found that Conservative voters are fatter and more likely to be obese than Labour or Liberal Democrat supporters.

Researchers looked at 4,000 people who voted in the 2019 general election and found that those who supported the Conservative Party had a ‘significantly’ higher Body Mass Index (BMI) score.

They were also up to 54 percent more likely to be obese, making them vulnerable to a range of serious diseases and more likely to die young.

This remained true even after the researchers adjusted their findings for age, gender, ethnicity and disadvantage.

Experts say doctors could ask patients how they vote to gauge their likelihood of developing serious weight-related complications.

Professor Amanda Daley from Loughborough University said: ‘Health remains a key political issue and a top priority for voters.

‘In this nationally representative sample, Conservative Party voters had higher BMI scores and were more likely to be obese than Labour and Liberal Democrat voters.

‘This finding is remarkable because obesity increases the risk of disease and premature death and has significant economic implications for health care worldwide.

‘Given that almost 14 million people voted Conservative in 2019, governments and public health authorities may benefit from taking the public’s political preferences into account when developing strategies to prevent and reduce obesity.’

While Conservative voters are significantly more likely to be obese, there is no significant difference in the likelihood of obesity between Labour and Lib Dem voters.

Overall, Lib Dem supporters were found to be the smallest, with more of them having a healthy BMI score than Tory or Labour voters.

Conservative voters are 32 percent more likely to fall into a higher BMI category than Labour Party voters, and 47 percent more likely than Liberal Democrats Party voters, even when other factors are taken into account.

Compared to left-wing voters, Conservative Party supporters have an average BMI that is about one point higher, which could be the difference between a healthy and unhealthy weight.

Previous research in the US has shown that doctors with right-wing views are more likely to speak to patients about their weight, discuss the health implications and refer them for treatment if necessary.

Their research, published in the International Journal of Obesity, was based on data from individuals randomly recruited from the Ipsos KnowledgePanel.

It supports studies in the US that have repeatedly shown that there higher rates of obesity in areas with strong support for the Republican Party’s presidential candidate.

The researchers also looked at people who voted for ‘other’ parties, but did not report their findings on these parties.