Does the Obesity Problem Increase Environmental Degradation? Macroeconomic and Social Evidence from the European Countries

Matheus Koengkan and José Alberto Fuinhas ()
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Matheus Koengkan: Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP), Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism (DEGEIT), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

Economies, 2022, vol. 10, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: The macroeconomic effect of the obesity epidemic on environmental degradation was examined for panel data from thirty-one European countries from 1991 to 2016. The quantile via moments model (QVM) was used to realize our empirical investigation. The empirical results indicate that the obesity epidemic, electricity consumption, and urbanisation encourage environmental degradation by increasing CO 2 emissions, while economic growth decreases them. Moreover, we identify that the obesity epidemic raises the environmental degradation problem in three ways. First, the obesity epidemic is caused by the increased consumption of processed foods from multinational food corporations. The increase in food production will positively impact energy consumption from non-renewable energy sources. Second, obesity reduces physical and outdoor activities, increasing the intensive use of home appliances and motorized transportation and screen-viewing leisure activities, consequently increasing energy consumption from non-renewable energy sources. A third possible way can be related indirectly to economic growth, globalization, and urbanisation. This empirical investigation will contribute to the literature and for policymakers and governments. Therefore, this investigation will encourage the development of initiatives to mitigate the obesity problem in European countries and accelerate the energy transition process. Finally, this investigation will open a new topic in the literature regarding the correlation between the obesity epidemic and environmental degradation.

Keywords: CO 2 emissions; energy consumption; environmental degradation; European region; food production; health problem; macroeconomics; obesity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E F I J O Q (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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