Table 3.

Obesogenic environments and obesity normalisation

Themes	Younger adults (18–25 years)	Adults (26–35 years)	Middle-aged adults (36–55 years)
Factors that determine what people eat/drink and physical inactivity
Men	Proximity of unhealthy food outlets Neighbourhood not good for physical exercise I cannot change anything about where we live. I consume cold drinks everyday	Healthy foods (fruits and vegetables) are expensive Healthy foods are inaccessible. Everyone eats the same foods/what is available in Soweto There is a lack of facilities for physical exercise	Proximity of unhealthy food outlets We eat what is available Addicted to alcohol and cold drinks We don’t like to exercise
Women	Proximity of unhealthy food outlets/Junk food outlets are everywhere Addicted to cold drinks Healthy food is expensive The head of family decides what we eat Neighbourhood is not safe for physical exercise	People eat fast-foods; that is, what is available Eating unhealthy is not bad Healthy food is expensive Lack of money	Healthy food is expensive Proximity of unhealthy food outlets Junk food is easy to prepare Unhealthy foods are affordable No time for physical exercise
Underestimation of overweight and obesity normalisation
Men	If overweight was inherited, there is nothing someone can do about it. Bigger sizes are culturally acceptable	Being fat is normal. Men like women with ‘meat’ – fat Fat women are attractive	Obese people are disabled Obesity is not common in Soweto. There are many fat people in society but they are not obese
Women	Fat people are normal and not sick Fat people don’t harm anybody Fat women are attractive to men Obese people are those with extra ordinary size that we see on TV Obesity is not common in Soweto Obese people are disabled	Everyone in society is accustomed to what is happening. Bigger bodies are culturally acceptable	Being fat is good. People are fat but not sick