A silver lining? The connection between gasoline prices and obesity.
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 United States by 7% and 10%.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Charles
C
Courtemanche
D001835:Body Weight / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005742:Gasoline / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D009765:Obesity / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014186:Transportation / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016138:Walking / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology
D005742:Gasoline