TIME CONSTRAINTS, DURABLE CONSUMER GOODS AND THE PREVALENCE OF OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Karsten Albæk

TIME CONSTRAINTS, DURABLE CONSUMER GOODS

AND THE PREVALENCE OF OBESITY IN

WESTERN EUROPE

Karsten Albæk

OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE

Aim of paper:

Economic and econometric analysis of overweight and extreme overweight (obesity)

in Western Europe

Measure of weight: Body mass indexBMI = weight in kilo/(height in meters)2


Idea: Analyze factors which affect energy balance intake of caloriesspending of calories

Time use of importance?

Durable consumer goods which affect time use:CarsMicrowave ovensDishwashers

Formal modeling: Becker’s analysis of time use

Extension: Take preferences of weight into accountDeviations from preferred weight enter intothe utility of the agents


Data: European Community Household Panel

Questions about weight and height 1998-2001

10 Western European countries: 5.500 to 21.500 males in each country

ditto for females

Pooled sample: about 107.000 males105.000 females


Econometric analysis:

OLS results for each countryMeasures the impact of covariates on average BMI

Quantile regression for pooled sampleMeasures the impact of covariates on differentquantiles of the weight distribution

Instrument analysis, potential endogeneity problem2SLSinstrumental quantile regression


Conditioning variables, not included in presentation:ChildrenLiving aloneSpouse not working fulltimeEducationSmokingIncomeAgeYear dummies


Summary statistics, MalesNorthern Europe

Finland Sweden Denmark Ireland Belgium

Mean of BMI 25.787(0.038)

25.462(0.045)

25.327(0.047)

25.578(0.042)

25.320(0.051)

Share of overweight (BMI 25+)

0.536(0.005)

0.512(0.007)

0.483(0.007)

0.531(0.006)

0.481(0.006)

Share of obese (BMI 30+)

0.117(0.003)

0.095(0.004)

0.094(0.004)

0.089(0.003)

0.110(0.004)


Summary statistics, MalesSouthern Europe

Austria Spain Portugal Italy Greece

Mean of BMI 25.698(0.039)

25.928(0.029)

25.581(0.028)

25.229(0.023)

26.125(0.031)


0.529(0.005)

0.555(0.004)

0.528(0.004)

0.467(0.003)

0.609(0.004)


0.111(0.003)

0.129(0.003)

0.091(0.002)

0.081(0.002)

0.101(0.003)


Summary statistics, FemalesNorthern Europe


Mean of BMI 24.622(0.046)

24.134(0.052)

23.985(0.055)

24.195(0.052)

23.744(0.055)


0.383(0.005)

0.332(0.006)

0.326(0.006)

0.345(0.006)

0.296(0.006)


0.122(0.003)

0.082(0.004)

0.087(0.004)

0.089(0.004)

0.088(0.003)


Summary statistics, FemalesSouthern Europe


Mean of BMI 24.114(0.046)

23.981(0.034)

24.647(0.035)

23.227(0.027)

24.446(0.038)


0.342(0.005)

0.331(0.004)

0.394(0.004)

0.260(0.003)

0.383(0.004)


0.092(0.003)

0.094(0.002)

0.102(0.002)

0.057(0.002)

0.082(0.002)



Males 1.73(1.10)

0.68(0.69)

2.77*(1.16)

2.73*(1.37)

1.94(1.52)

Females 1.37(1.21)

-0.21(0.75)

0.52(1.47)

-0.76(1.51)

-1.42(1.52)

OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percentPossession of a car in the household

Northern Europe



Males 1.56(1.32)

1.55*(0.66)

2.25**(0.75)

2.22*(0.92)

1.56**(0.56)

Females 0.01(1.30)

1.36(0.73)

-1.23(1.02)

-2.33*(1.08)

-0.05(0.66)

OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percentPossession of a car in the household

Southern Europe


Comments, effect of car possessionMales: Positive impact in all countries

(significant in 6 out of 10)Females: Positive impact in 3 countries (none significant)

Hypothesis, as most households in Europe only have one car:The male mostly uses the carAs the female does not use the car as much as the male, the car has no detrimental effect on the weight of the

female



Males 1.85(1.07)

1.89**(0.53)

1.73*(0.74)

0.64(0.86)

1.50(0.84)

Females -0.77(1.26)

2.15**(0.62)

3.18**(0.94)

1.74(1.10)

0.97(0.91)

OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percentPossession of a microwave oven in the household

Northern Europe



Males 2.62**(0.61)

1.18**(0.44)

-0.20(0.58)

0.32(0.36)

-0.09(0.52)

Females 2.06**(0.76)

-0.53(0.50)

-0.11(0.70)

-0.63(0.43)

-1.06(0.67)

OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percentPossession of a microwave oven in the household

Southern Europe


Comments, effect of possession of a micro wave ovenNorthern Europe: Positive and significant effect on weight

for both males and females in 4 out of 6 countriesSouthern Europe: No effect in 3 out of 4 countries

(only a positive and significant effect for Spanish males)

Hypothesis: different use of the micro wave oven, for example Northern Europe: Used to heat ready prepared food Southern Europe: Heat milk for cappuccino



Males -0.46(0.76)

0.05(0.49)

-0.34(0.88)

-0.72(0.66)

-0.77(0.77)

Females -1.04(0.85)

-1.79**(0.58)

-1.74(1.17)

-0.48(0.76)

-2.11*(0.83)

OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percentPossession of a dishwasher in the household

Northern Europe



Males -1.22(0.68)

-1.80**(0.49)

1.20(0.68)

-0.71*(0.35)

-0.14(0.44)

Females -0.93(0.77)

-2.38**(0.51)

-1.18(0.79)

-1.89**(0.45)

-0.25(0.60)

OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percentPossession of a dishwasher in the household

Southern Europe


Comments, effect of possession of a dishwasher18 out of 20 coefficients are negative6 coefficients are significantly negative

Fact: a dishwasher is an extremely time saving deviceWashing up by hand after a family of 4

takes often more than ½ hourThis time could be used for something else

Hypothesis: the time saved is used on something that reduces weight problems (for example making food instead ofwarming up ready prepared food)



Males -1.02(0.79)

-0.34(0.62)

-0.62(1.05)

-1.17(0.82)

-0.35(0.98)

Females 2.30**(0.78)

1.45**(0.54)

-2.84**(1.05)

0.10(0.82)

0.94(0.80)

OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percentNot working fulltime

Northern Europe



Males -0.81(0.79)

-1.11*(0.54)

-1.67*(0.65)

-0.89*(0.41)

-1.11*(0.51)

Females -0.63(0.68)

1.27*(0.51)

1.17(0.77)

-0.04(0.42)

0.73(0.50)

OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percentNot working fulltime

Southern Europe


Comments, effect of not working full time:Males: The coefficients are negative for all countries

(significantly negative in the 4 Southern Europeancountries)

Females: Mixed results 3 positive and significant coefficients1 negative and significant coefficient

Hypothesis: Males, who do not work full time, do not face as tight time constraints as males working full time


Quantile, OLS and IV regressions results for the determinants of log body mass index,

males, percent

BMI=20 BMI=20.5 BMI= 25 BMI=27.5 BMI=30 OLS IV-regression

Car 3.84**(0.55)

2.73**(0.23)

2.01**(0.20)

1.53**(0.25)

0.56(0.40)

2.01**(0.21)

13.26*(5.57)

Micro-wave oven

0.76*(0.38)

0.67**(0.18)

0.56**(0.14)

0.97**(0.17)

1.38**(0.28)

0.85**(0.14)

0.25(0.37)

Dish-washer

-0.44(0.35)

-0.43*(0.19)

-0.64**(0.16)

-0.89**(0.20)

-1.03**(0.25)

-0.67**(0.14)

-1.50**(0.50)

Not fulltimeworker

-2.34**(0.38)

-1.41**(0.20)

-0.93**(0.17)

-0.67**(0.21)

-0.02(0.28)

-0.88**(0.16)

0.10(0.50)


Quantile, OLS and IV regressions results for the determinants of log body mass index,

females, percent

BMI=20 BMI=20.5 BMI= 25 BMI=27.5

BMI=30 OLS IV-regression

Car 0.83**(0.24)

0.83**(0.24)

-0.55(0.28)

-1.32**(0.44)

-1.91**(0.48)

-0.42(0.24)

13.67(8.51)

Micro-wave oven

0.16(0.18)

0.30(0.17)

0.24(0.26)

0.19(0.28)

0.40(0.36)

0.32(0.17)

-0.47(0.54)

Dish-washer

-0.85**(0.19)

-1.36**(0.17)

-1.49**(0.20)

-1.84**(0.27)

-2.06**(0.44)

-1.37**(0.17)

-2.61**(0.89)

Not fulltimeworker

-0.25(0.16)

0.37*(0.18)

0.79**(0.21)

1.28**(0.24)

1.57**(0.32)

0.57**(0.15)

0.94**(0.30)


Potential endogeneity problem, car possession:Fat persons might buy a car because they are fat

Instrument applied in the paper:Population density of residence (3 categories)

Assumption: Residence does not directly affect BMI


Quantile regression for males: Possesion of a car in the household

-0,5

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9

lnB

MI,

perc

ent


IV-Quantile regression for males: Possesion of a car in the household

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9

lnB

MI,

perc

ent


IV-Quantile regression for females: Possesion of a car in the household

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9

lnB

MI, p

erc

ent


Quantile regression for females: Possesion of a car in the household

-3,5

-3

-2,5

-2

-1,5

-1

-0,5

0

0,5

1

1,5

0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9

lnB

MI,

perc

ent

Documents

TIME CONSTRAINTS, DURABLE CONSUMER GOODS AND THE PREVALENCE OF OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Karsten Albæk