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Alcohol consumption and body weight

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  • Michael T. French
  • Edward C. Norton
  • Hai Fang
  • Johanna Catherine Maclean

Abstract

The number of Americans who are overweight or obese has reached epidemic proportions. Elevated weight is associated with health problems and increased medical expenditures. This paper analyzes Waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions to investigate the role of alcohol consumption in weight gain. Alcohol is not only an addictive substance but also a high‐calorie beverage that can interfere with metabolic function and cognitive processes. Because men and women differ in the type and amount of alcohol they consume, in the biological effects they experience as a result of alcohol consumption, and in the consequences they face as a result of obesity, we expect our results to differ by gender. We use first‐difference models of body mass index (BMI) and alcohol consumption (frequency and intensity) to control for time‐invariant unobservable factors that may influence changes in both alcohol use and weight status. Increasing frequency and intensity of alcohol use is associated with statistically significant yet quantitatively small weight gain for men but not for women. Moreover, the first‐difference results are much smaller in magnitude and sometimes different in sign compared with the benchmark pooled cross‐sectional estimates. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael T. French & Edward C. Norton & Hai Fang & Johanna Catherine Maclean, 2010. "Alcohol consumption and body weight," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(7), pages 814-832, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:19:y:2010:i:7:p:814-832
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.1521
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    2. Salahodjaev, Raufhon & Azam, Sardor, 2015. "IQ and the Weight of Nations," MPRA Paper 66144, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Costa-Font, Joan & Salmasi, Luca & Zaccagni, Sarah, 2021. "More Than a Ban on Smoking? Behavioural Spillovers of Smoking Bans in the Workplace," IZA Discussion Papers 14299, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Morales, Leonardo Fabio & Gordon-Larsen, Penny & Guilkey, David, 2016. "Obesity and health-related decisions: An empirical model of the determinants of weight status across the transition from adolescence to young adulthood," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 46-62.
    5. Leonardo Becchetti & Davide Bellucci & Fiammetta Rossetti, 2018. "Gamblers, scratchers and their financial education," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 35(1), pages 127-162, April.
    6. Nizalova, Olena & Norton, Edward C., 2021. "Long-term effects of job loss on male health: BMI and health behaviors," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    7. Pieroni, Luca & Salmasi, Luca, 2012. "Smoking habit changes and body weight: causal estimates from the British Household Panel Survey," MPRA Paper 43465, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Shu Ng & Edward Norton & David Guilkey & Barry Popkin, 2012. "Estimation of a dynamic model of weight," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 413-443, April.
    9. Courtemanche, Charles & Tchernis, Rusty & Ukert, Benjamin, 2018. "The effect of smoking on obesity: Evidence from a randomized trial," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 31-44.
    10. Kinga Polanska & Dorota Kaleta, 2020. "Correlates of Alcohol Consumption Among a Socially-Disadvantaged Population in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-14, December.
    11. Richard A. Dunn & Nathan W. Tefft, 2014. "Has Increased Body Weight Made Driving Safer?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(11), pages 1374-1389, November.
    12. Kaestner, Robert & Schiman, Cuiping & Ward, Jason, 2020. "Education and health over the life cycle," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    13. Eva Deuchert & Sofie Cabus & Darjusch Tafreschi, 2014. "A Short Note On Economic Development And Socioeconomic Inequality In Female Body Weight," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(7), pages 861-869, July.
    14. Richard Rogers & Patrick Krueger & Richard Miech & Elizabeth Lawrence & Robert Kemp, 2013. "Nondrinker Mortality Risk in the United States," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 32(3), pages 325-352, June.
    15. Leonardo Fabio Morales & Penny Gordon-Larsen & David Guilkey, 2014. "Obesity and Health-Related Decisions: An Empirical Model of the Determinants of Weight Status," Borradores de Economia 846, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    16. Elif Inan-Eroglu & Bo-Huei Huang & Mark Hamer & Annie Britton & Emmanuel Stamatakis, 2022. "Alcohol Consumption and Adiposity: A Longitudinal Analysis of 45,399 UK Biobank Participants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-17, September.
    17. Qihua Qiu & Jaesang Sung, 2021. "The effects of graduated driver licensing on teenage body weight," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(11), pages 2829-2846, November.
    18. Andrew W. Nutting, 2020. "Height and Adult Alcohol Consumption," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 48(1), pages 115-129, March.
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    20. Joseph J. Sabia & Jeffrey Swigert & Timothy Young, 2017. "The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Body Weight," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 6-34, January.

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