Portliness amidst poverty: evidence from India

We analyse patterns and correlates of excess weight of adults in India. We find that urban women are particularly at risk of being overweight or obese and that income or wealth, relative inequality, and lifestyle choices are strongly correlated with body mass index. Using panel data for women, we find that there is strong persistence in being overweight or obese—there are significant transitions into this category but very little movement out of this category over time. Estimates of health impacts indicate that overweight or obese weight status is positively associated with the incidence of diabetes and blood pressure. JEL: I12, I15, O12