Imitative obesity and relative utility

David G Blanchflower; Andrew J. Oswald; Bert van Landeghem

Imitative obesity and relative utility

David G Blanchflower, Andrew J. Oswald, Bert van Landeghem

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

If human beings care about their relative weight, a form of imitative obesity can emerge (in which people subconsciously keep up with the weight of the Joneses). Using Eurobarometer data on 29 countries, this paper provides cross-sectional evidence that overweight perceptions and dieting are influenced by a person's relative BMI, and longitudinal evidence from the German Socioeconomic Panel that well-being is influenced by relative BMI. Highly educated people see themselves as fatter-at any given actual weight-than those with low education. These results should be treated cautiously, and fixed-effects estimates are not always well determined, buttherearegroundstotakeseriouslythepossibilityofsociallycontagiousobesity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	528-538
Number of pages	11
Journal	Journal of the European Economic Association
Volume	7
Issue number	2-3
Publication status	Published - Mar 2009
Externally published	Yes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Cite this

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AU - Oswald, Andrew J.

AU - van Landeghem, Bert

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AB - If human beings care about their relative weight, a form of imitative obesity can emerge (in which people subconsciously keep up with the weight of the Joneses). Using Eurobarometer data on 29 countries, this paper provides cross-sectional evidence that overweight perceptions and dieting are influenced by a person's relative BMI, and longitudinal evidence from the German Socioeconomic Panel that well-being is influenced by relative BMI. Highly educated people see themselves as fatter-at any given actual weight-than those with low education. These results should be treated cautiously, and fixed-effects estimates are not always well determined, buttherearegroundstotakeseriouslythepossibilityofsociallycontagiousobesity.

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JO - Journal of the European Economic Association

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ER -

Imitative obesity and relative utility

Abstract

UN SDGs

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