The relationship between income, economic freedom, and BMI
| Autor: | Robert A. Lawson, Ryan H. Murphy, Claudia R. Williamson |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Freedom
Male Economic liberalism Developing country Body Mass Index Economic freedom 03 medical and health sciences Politics Globalization Life Expectancy 0302 clinical medicine 0502 economics and business Economics medicine Humans Obesity 030212 general & internal medicine 050207 economics Developing Countries Models Statistical 05 social sciences Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health General Medicine medicine.disease Liberalism Income Life expectancy Female Demographic economics |
| Zdroj: | Public Health. 134:18-25 |
| ISSN: | 0033-3506 |
| Popis: | Objectives What explains increases in BMI (and obesity) over time and across countries? Although many microeconomic forces are likely explanations, increasingly scholars are arguing that macroeconomic forces such as market liberalism and globalization are root causes of the obesity epidemic. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of economic freedom on obesity conditional on the level of income and other factors. Study Design We use an unbalanced pooled cross section of up to 135 countries for 1995 and 2000–2009. Methods Our statistical model specifications include pooled OLS and fixed effects. Results First, we find that controlling for fixed effects siphons off much of the relationship previously documented between economic freedom and BMI. Second, economic freedom is associated with slightly higher BMIs but only for men in developing nations. Lastly, we show that economic freedom increases life expectancy for both men and women in developing countries. Conclusion Therefore, policies aimed at reducing obesity that limit economic liberalism may come at the expense of life expectancy in the developing world. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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