The article discusses socioeconomic disparities in health behaviors, such as smoking, exercise, and diet, and the mechanisms underlying these disparities. It reviews nine broad explanations for these disparities, including stress, relative deprivation, limited benefits of healthy behaviors, latent traits, class distinctions, lack of knowledge and access to information, efficacy and agency, aids for healthy behavior, and community opportunities. The article emphasizes that these disparities involve more than just the ability to afford health-related goods and services. It highlights that low-SES individuals may engage in unhealthy behaviors despite the costs, and that these behaviors are influenced by social circumstances, stress, and other factors. The article also notes that health behaviors differ in their requirements and that some behaviors, like smoking, involve significant monetary costs. It concludes that further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms behind these disparities and to design studies that test the importance of various mechanisms.The article discusses socioeconomic disparities in health behaviors, such as smoking, exercise, and diet, and the mechanisms underlying these disparities. It reviews nine broad explanations for these disparities, including stress, relative deprivation, limited benefits of healthy behaviors, latent traits, class distinctions, lack of knowledge and access to information, efficacy and agency, aids for healthy behavior, and community opportunities. The article emphasizes that these disparities involve more than just the ability to afford health-related goods and services. It highlights that low-SES individuals may engage in unhealthy behaviors despite the costs, and that these behaviors are influenced by social circumstances, stress, and other factors. The article also notes that health behaviors differ in their requirements and that some behaviors, like smoking, involve significant monetary costs. It concludes that further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms behind these disparities and to design studies that test the importance of various mechanisms.