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Portliness Amidst Poverty: Evidence from India

Author

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  • Pushkar Maitra
  • Nidhiya Menon

Abstract

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

Suggested Citation

  • Pushkar Maitra & Nidhiya Menon, 2019. "Portliness Amidst Poverty: Evidence from India," Arthaniti: Journal of Economic Theory and Practice, , vol. 18(2), pages 138-170, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:artjou:v:18:y:2019:i:2:p:138-170
    DOI: 10.1177/0976747918807005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Romling, Cornelia & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "Direct and Indirect Determinants of Obesity: The Case of Indonesia," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 108350, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    2. Case, Anne & Menendez, Alicia, 2009. "Sex differences in obesity rates in poor countries: Evidence from South Africa," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 271-282, December.
    3. repec:pri:cheawb:case_and_menendez_ehb_dec_2009 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Archana Dang & Pushkar Maitra & Nidhiya Menon, 2017. "Labor Market Engagement and the Health of Working Adults: Evidence from India," Working Papers id:12218, eSocialSciences.
    5. repec:pri:cheawb:case_and_menendez_ehb_dec_2009.pdf is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Papke, Leslie E. & Wooldridge, Jeffrey M., 2008. "Panel data methods for fractional response variables with an application to test pass rates," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 145(1-2), pages 121-133, July.
    7. Pathak, Praveen Kumar & Singh, Abhishek, 2011. "Trends in malnutrition among children in India: Growing inequalities across different economic groups," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(4), pages 576-585, August.
    8. Römling, Cornelia & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "Direct and Indirect Determinants of Obesity: The Case of Indonesia," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Berlin 2011 70, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
    9. repec:zbw:gdec11:aglobalfooddiscussionpapersx4 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Raghav Gaiha & Raghbendra Jha & Vani S. Kulkarni, 2010. "Affluence, Obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases in India," ASARC Working Papers 2010-08, The Australian National University, Australia South Asia Research Centre.
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    Cited by:

    1. Brinda Viswanathan & Archana Agnihotri, 2020. "Double Burden of Malnutrition in India: Decadal Changes among Adult Men and Women," Working Papers 2020-200, Madras School of Economics,Chennai,India.
    2. Archana Dang, 2020. "Role of Time Preferences in Explaining the Burden of Malnutrition: Evidence from Urban India," Working papers 309, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Excess weight; body mass index; gender; India; blood pressure; diabetes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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