How does childhood obesity affect school achievement? Contributions from a qualitative analysis implemented in Mexico City

Pierre Levasseur () and Luis Ortiz-Hernandez

Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) from Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA)

Abstract: In order to better understand the negative causal relationships between childhood obesity and school achievement, we implement a qualitative analysis based on 29 adolescents interviewed in Mexico City. Our findings suggest the following. First, childhood obesity affects schooling outcomes through two interdependent channels: social stigmatization and loss of productivity. Second, three main mechanisms seem to be involved in the relationship. While the loss of productivity alone represents one of such mechanism, the social stigmatization of obesity passes through two mechanisms: (i) a direct social mechanism, including material aggressions and exclusion by peers, and (ii) an indirect social mechanism, referring to psycho-sociological troubles that stigmatized people express. Third, the risk of weight discrimination depends on different individual factors: age, gender, fat distribution and body-mass category.

Keywords: Mexico; childhood obesity; school achievement; loss of productivity; social stigmatization; qualitative analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I15 I26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ure
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Working Paper: How does childhood obesity affect school achievement? Contributions from a qualitative analysis implemented in Mexico City (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:grt:wpegrt:2017-21

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