Obesity and the Rate of Time Preference: Is there a Connection?

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Obesity and the Rate of Time Preference: Is there a Connection?

Author Info

Komlos, John
Smith, Patricia K.
Bogin, Barry

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

John H. Komlos

Abstract

We hypothesize that recent trends in U.S. and worldwide obesity are, in part, related to an increase in the marginal rate of time preference, where time preference refers to the rate at which people are willing to trade current benefit for future benefit. The higher the rate of time preference, the larger is the factor by which individuals discount the future health risks associated with current consumption. Data from the United States, as well as international evidence, suggests that a relationship between these two variables is plausible. We encourage researchers to explore the possible link between obesity and time preference, as important insights are likely to result.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Munich, Department of Economics in its series Discussion Papers in Economics with number 60.

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Date of creation: Jul 2003
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Handle: RePEc:lmu:muenec:60

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Production

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

NEP-ALL-2004-07-04 (All new papers)
NEP-HEA-2004-07-04 (Health Economics)

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Komlos, John & Lauderdale, Benjamin E., 2006. "Underperformance in affluence: the remarkable relative decline in American heights in the second half of the 20th-century," Discussion Papers in Economics 1241, University of Munich, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
Joan Costa-Font & Daniele Fabbri & Joan Gil, 2008. "Decomposing Cross-Country Gaps in Obesity and Overweight: Does the Social Environment Matter?," Working Papers in Economics 205, Universitat de Barcelona. Espai de Recerca en Economia. [Downloadable!]
Komlos, John & Lauderdale, Benjamin E., 2004. "Spatial Correlates of U.S. Heights and BMIs, 2002," Discussion Papers in Economics 466, University of Munich, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
Komlos, John & Baur, Marieluise, 2003. "From the Tallest to (One of) the Fattest: The Enigmatic Fate of the American Population in the 20th Century," Discussion Papers in Economics 76, University of Munich, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Komlos, John & Baur, Marieluise, 2003. "From the Tallest to (One of) the Fattest: The Enigmatic Fate of the American Population in the 20th Century," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
- Komlos, John & Baur, Marieluise, 2004. "From the tallest to (one of) the fattest: the enigmatic fate of the American population in the 20th century," Economics and Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 57-74, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Borghans,Lex & Golsteyn,Bart H.H., 2005. "Time Discounting and the Body Mass Index," Research Memoranda 006, Maastricht : ROA, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Lex Borghans & Bart H. H. Golsteyn, 2005. "Time Discounting and the Body Mass Index," IZA Discussion Papers 1597, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
Joan Costa-Font & Joan Gil, 2004. "Social interactions and the contemporaneous determinants of individuals' weight," Applied Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 36(20), pages 2253-2263, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Other versions:
- Joan Costa-Font & Joan Gil, . "Social interactions and the contemporaneous determinants of individuals’ weight," Working Papers 2004-19, FEDEA. [Downloadable!]
Heather Bednarek & Thomas Jeitschko & Rowena Pecchenino, 2006. "Gluttony and Sloth: Symptoms of Trouble or Signs of Bliss? A Theory of Choice in the Presence of Behavioral Adjustment Costs," Contributions to Economic Analysis & Policy, Berkeley Electronic Press, vol. 5(1), pages 1507-1507. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Inas Rashad & Sara Markowitz, 2007. "Incentives in Obesity and Health Insurance," NBER Working Papers 13113, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Vincenzo Atella & Noemi Pace & Daniela Vuri, 2008. "Are employers discriminating with respect to weight? European Evidence using Quantile Regression," CEIS Research Paper 123, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 14 Jul 2008. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Atella, Vincenzo & Pace, Noemi & Vuri, Daniela, 2008. "Are employers discriminating with respect to weight?: European Evidence using Quantile Regression," Economics and Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 305-329, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Stephanie Von Hinke Kessler Scholder, 2007. "Maternal Employment and Overweight Children: Does Timing Matter?," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 07/12, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Stephanie von Hinke Kessler Scholder, 2007. "Maternal Employment and Overweight Children: Does Timing Matter?," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 07/180, Department of Economics, University of Bristol, UK. [Downloadable!]
- Stephanie von Hinke Kessler Scholder, 2008. "Maternal employment and overweight children: does timing matter?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(8), pages 889-906. [Downloadable!]
Philippe Mahler, 2007. "I'm not fat, just too short for my weight - Family Child Care and Obesity in Germany," Working Papers 0707, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
Jaume Garcia & Climent Quintana, 2008. "Income and Body Mass Index in Europe," Economic Reports 13-08, FEDEA. [Downloadable!]
Other versions:
- Jaume Garcia Villar & Climent Quintana-Domeque, 2006. "Income and Body Mass Index in Europe," Economics Working Papers 1001, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised May 2008. [Downloadable!]
- García Villar, Jaume & Quintana-Domeque, Climent, 2009. "Income and body mass index in Europe," Economics and Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 73-83, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Joan Costa Font & Joan Gil Trasfi, 2005. "Obesity and the Incidence of Chronic Diseases: a Seemingly Unrelated Probit Approach," Working Papers in Economics 137, Universitat de Barcelona. Espai de Recerca en Economia. [Downloadable!]

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