OBESITY AND NUTRIENT CONSUMPTION: A RATIONAL ADDICTION?

Timothy Richards, Paul M. Patterson and Abebayehu Tegene

Contemporary Economic Policy, 2007, vol. 25, issue 3, 309-324

Abstract: Recent research shows that the dramatic rise in obesity in the United States is due more to the overconsumption of unhealthy foods than underactivity. This study tests for an addiction to food nutrients as a potential explanation for the apparent excessive consumption. A random coefficients (mixed) logit model is used to test a multivariate rational addiction model. The results reveal a particularly strong addiction to carbohydrates. The implication of this finding is that price‐based policies, sin taxes, or produce subsidies that change the expected future costs and benefits of consuming carbohydrate‐intensive foods may be effective in controlling excessive nutrient intake. (JEL D120, I120, C230)

Date: 2007
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (35)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-7287.2007.00047.x

Related works:
Working Paper: OBESITY AND NUTRIENT CONSUMPTION: A RATIONAL ADDICTION? (2004)
Working Paper: Obesity and Nutrient Consumption: A Rational Addiction? (2004)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:coecpo:v:25:y:2007:i:3:p:309-324

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://ordering.onl ... 5-7287&ref=1465-7287

Access Statistics for this article

Contemporary Economic Policy is currently edited by Brad R. Humphreys

More articles in Contemporary Economic Policy from Western Economic Association International Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().