Obesity and Happiness

Marina-Selini Katsaiti ()

No 270, SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research from DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP)

Abstract: This paper provides insight on the relationship between obesity and happiness. Using the latest available cross sectional data from Germany (GSOEP 2006), UK (BHPS 2005), and Australia (HILDA 2007). We examine whether there is evidence on the impact of overweight on subjective well being. The Hausman test is employed in the univariate and multivariate specifications chosen and reveals evidence for the presence of endogeneity in the German and the Australian data. Instrumental variable analysis is performed under the presence of endogeneity whereas for the UK we run OLS regressions. Results indicate that in all three countries obesity has a negative and significant effect on the subjective well being of individuals. For Germany, using a differences-in-differences methodology, I find that non-overweight/non-obese individuals are on average 0.5 units happier than their overweight/obese counterparts. Our findings also have important implications for the effect of other socio-demographic, economic and individual characteristics on well being.

Keywords: Happiness; obesity; instrumental variable analysis; subjective well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D60 I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 31 p.
Date: 2010
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap, nep-hea and nep-ltv
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.347294.de/diw_sp0270.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Obesity and happiness (2012)
Working Paper: Obesity and Happiness (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp270

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