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The effect of personalised weight feedback on weight loss and health behaviours: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design

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  • Will Cook

Abstract

Using a regression‐discontinuity approach on a U.K. longitudinal dataset, this research analyses whether personalised weight feedback resulted in individuals losing weight over a period of between 2 and 7 years. The analysis presented here finds that being told one was “overweight” had, on average, no effect on subsequent weight loss; however, being told one was “very overweight” resulted in individuals losing, on average, approximately 1% of their bodyweight. The effect of feedback was found to be strongly moderated by household income, with those in higher income households accounting for seemingly all of the estimated effect due, in part, to increased physical activity. These findings suggest that the provision of weight feedback may be a cost‐effective way to reduce obesity in adults. They do however also highlight that the differential response to the provision of health information may be a driver of health inequalities and that the provision of feedback may bias longitudinal health studies.

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  • Will Cook, 2019. "The effect of personalised weight feedback on weight loss and health behaviours: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(1), pages 161-172, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:28:y:2019:i:1:p:161-172
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.3829
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    1. Wang, Lanjie & Zhang, Xuan & Kim, Seonghoon & Koh, Kanghyock, 2024. "Weight perception and weight management via information nudges," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 332-353.
    2. ZHAO Meng & YIN Ting & SEKIZAWA Yoichi, 2023. "Make Behavioral Changes for a Healthier Liver? Evidence from a liver function test in Japan," Discussion papers 23010, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    3. Gaggero, A. & Gil, J. & Jiménez-Rubio, D. & Zucchelli, E., 2021. "Health information and lifestyle behaviours: the impact of a diabetes diagnosis," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 21/02, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    4. Gaggero, Alessio & Gil, Joan & Jiménez-Rubio, Dolores & Zucchelli, Eugenio, 2022. "Does health information affect lifestyle behaviours? The impact of a diabetes diagnosis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    5. Luciana Juvenal & Paulo Santos Monteiro, 2024. "Risky Gravity," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 22(4), pages 1590-1627.
    6. Kämpfen, F.; & Gómez-Olivé, X.; & O’Donnell, O.; & Riumallo Herl, C.;, 2023. "Effectiveness of Population-Based Hypertension Screening: A Multidimensional Regression Discontinuity Design," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 23/15, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.

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