title: The relationship between income, economic freedom, and BMI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  What explains increases in BMI (and obesity) over time and across countries? Although many microeconomic forces are likely explanations, increasingly scholars are arguing that macroeconomic forces such as market liberalism and globalization are root causes of the obesity epidemic. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of economic freedom on obesity conditional on the level of income and other factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We use an unbalanced pooled cross section of up to 135 countries for 1995 and 2000-2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our statistical model specifications include pooled OLS and fixed effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First, we find that controlling for fixed effects siphons off much of the relationship previously documented between economic freedom and BMI. Second, economic freedom is associated with slightly higher BMIs but only for men in developing nations. Lastly, we show that economic freedom increases life expectancy for both men and women in developing countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therefore, policies aimed at reducing obesity that limit economic liberalism may come at the expense of life expectancy in the developing world.
authors.affiliation: O'Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, United States.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.affiliation: O'Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, United States.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Mississippi State University, Box 9580, 312F McCool Hall, Mississippi State, MS, 39762-9580, United States. Electronic address: claudiawilliamson@gmail.com.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Williamson
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005610:Freedom; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011057:Politics
keywords: Economic freedom; Income; Life expectancy; Obesity