Room: Phillips 403
Time: Mon 10:15 AM-11:45 AM

Economic Determinants of Childhood Obesity

Chair: Jane Ruseski

Session Description

It is well known that obesity is a significant contributor to rising medical costs and the growing prevalence of certain chronic diseases. For example, Finkelstien et al. (2009) estimate that obesity attributable medical expenditures were $147 billion in 2008, while the direct medical costs of diabetes, a condition closely linked to obesity, increased 37 percent between 1997 and 2007 (American Diabetes Association, 2008). Although many of the negative medical consequences of obesity occur in adulthood, young overweight children can also exhibit risk factors such as hyperlipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and increased insulin levels (Freedman et al., 1999). Furthermore, overweight children are often subject to bullying and rejection by their peers, which can lead to psychological stress (Smith and Biddle, 2008). Because of the immediate negative health consequences of overweight and obesity in childhood and the likelihood that such children will remain obese as adults, both medical professionals and policy makers have taken great interest in strategies to combat childhood obesity.
The papers in this session investigate some of the most important underlying determinants of childhood obesity: physical inactivity, peer influence, and consumption patterns. By elucidating the mechanisms through which these factor contribute to the growing obesity epidemic among America's youth, these papers will inform policies designed to forestall this seemingly intractable social trend. Specifically, the first paper investigates whether higher levels of physical activity resulting from participation in elementary school physical education (PE) classes have any impact on body mass index, obesity, and scholastic achievement. There has been a recent surge in the number of state laws mandating PE at the elementary level, yet little is known about the effectiveness of this approach or whether there have been unintended consequences of such policies, such as reduced academic performance. The second paper takes a comprehensive look at the influence that peer group characteristics have on child obesity. Using the latest advances from the treatment effects literature, this paper demonstrates that obesity can be spread through social networks much like an illness spreads through a population. Finally, the third paper investigates the extent to which adolescents of different socio-economic levels face incentives, in the form of relatively low prices for high-density fast food, to engage in poor dietary practices. By considering not only the level of relative prices but the density of fast food outlets and grocery stores (where more nutritious food can be obtained), this study also accounts for ease of access to different types of food.

Key Terms None

Session Organizer: Chad Meyerhoefer (Lehigh University)

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Presentations

1. Do Physical Education Requirements Influence Childhood Obesity and Student Achievement?

   Presenter: Chad Meyerhoefer (Lehigh University)

   Discussant: Inas Rashad Kelly (City University of New York, Queens College)

2. Exposure to Obesity and Weight Gain Among Adolescents

   Presenter: Muzhe Yang (Lehigh University)

   Discussant: Justin Trogdon (RTI International)

3. Food Prices, Availability and Consumption Patterns Among U.S. Adolescents

   Presenter: Lisa Powell (University of Illinois at Chicago)

   Discussant: Yuriy Pylypchuk (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ))