Weight gains from trade in foods: Evidence from Mexico / Osea Giuntella, Matthias Rieger, Lorenzo Rotunno.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Giuntella, Osea.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Rieger, Matthias.

Rotunno, Lorenzo.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w24942.

NBER working paper series no. w24942

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Weight gains from trade in foods

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2018.

Summary:

In this paper, we investigate the effects of trade in foods on obesity in Mexico. To do so, we match data on Mexican food imports from the U.S. with anthropometric and food expenditure data. Our findings suggest that exposure to food imports from the U.S. explains about ten percent of the rise in obesity prevalence among Mexican women between 1988 and 2012. Pro-obesity effects are driven by areas more exposed to unhealthy food imports. We also find evidence in favour of a price mechanism. By linking trade flows to obesity, the paper sheds light on an important channel through which globalisation may affect health.

Notes:

Print version record

August 2018.