Tackling obesity: What role for behavioural and standard economics?

The international community is grappling with the obesity epidemic. Behavioural economics has gained international attention by offering insights into individual decision making that can potentially be used in policy to nudge individuals to change their behaviour to improve their health. However, there is a paucity of evidence regarding its likely success in this endeavour. This Project uses discrete choice and economic laboratory experiments to investigate social acceptability of, and predicted behaviour change in response to, a range of behavioural and standard economic inspired policies. Results will inform optimal investment and targeting of policy to prevent and reduce obesity.