A Silver Lining? The Connection Between Gasoline Prices and Obesity

Charles Courtemanche ()

No 09-1, Working Papers from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics

Abstract: I find evidence of a negative association between gasoline prices and body weight using a fixed effects model with several robustness checks. I also show that increases in gas prices are associated with additional walking and a reduction in the frequency with which people eat at restaurants, explaining their effect on weight. My estimates imply that 8% of the rise in obesity between 1979 and 2004 can be attributed to the concurrent drop in real gas prices, and that a permanent $1 increase in gasoline prices would reduce overweight and obesity in the U.S. by 7% and 10%.

Keywords: Gas price; obesity; body weight; gasoline price; gasoline; transportation; restaurants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008-08-24, Revised 2009-01-01
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Journal Article: A SILVER LINING? THE CONNECTION BETWEEN GASOLINE PRICES AND OBESITY (2011)
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ris:uncgec:2009_001

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