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Do Globalization and Free Markets Drive Obesity among Children and Youth? An Empirical Analysis, 1990–2013

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  • Indra de Soysa
  • Ann Kristin de Soysa

Abstract

Scholars of public health identify globalization as a major cause of obesity. Free markets are blamed for spreading high calorie, nutrient-poor diets, and sedentary lifestyles across the globe. Global trade and investment agreements apparently curtail government action in the interest of public health. Globalization is also blamed for raising income inequality and social insecurities, which contribute to “obesogenic” environments. Contrary to recent empirical studies, this study demonstrates that globalization and several component parts, such as trade openness, FDI flows, and an index of economic freedom, reduce weight gain and obesity among children and youth, the most likely age cohort to be affected by the past three decades of globalization and attendant lifestyle changes. The results suggest strongly that local-level factors possibly matter much more than do global-level factors for explaining why some people remain thin and others put on weight. The proposition that globalization is homogenizing cultures across the globe in terms of diets and lifestyles is possibly exaggerated. The results support the proposition that globalized countries prioritize health because of the importance of labor productivity and human capital due to heightened market competition, ceteris paribus, even if rising incomes might drive high consumption.

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  • Indra de Soysa & Ann Kristin de Soysa, 2018. "Do Globalization and Free Markets Drive Obesity among Children and Youth? An Empirical Analysis, 1990–2013," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(1), pages 88-106, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:ginixx:v:44:y:2018:i:1:p:88-106
    DOI: 10.1080/03050629.2017.1311259
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    Cited by:

    1. Michele Baggio & Alberto Chong, 2020. "Free trade agreements and world obesity," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 87(1), pages 30-49, July.
    2. Dimitrios Minos, 2020. "“Eat, my child.” Obesity among children in developing countries: Evidence from South Africa," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 1300-1311, November.

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