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Anorexia, Body Image and Peer Effects: Evidence from a Sample of European Women

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  • Joan Costa Font
  • Mireia Jofre-Bonet

Abstract

Excessive preoccupation with self-image (or identity) is regarded as a factor contributing to the proliferation of food disorders, especially among young women. This paper models how self-image and peer effects influence health-related behaviours, specifically food disorders. We empirically test our claims using data from the European survey. Our findings suggest that the larger the peers' body-mass, the lower the likelihood of being anorexic. Self-image is correlated with body weight. We use several definitions of peers' body mass and we find that all are negatively associated with the likelihood of women being thin or extremely thin.

Suggested Citation

  • Joan Costa Font & Mireia Jofre-Bonet, 2011. "Anorexia, Body Image and Peer Effects: Evidence from a Sample of European Women," CEP Discussion Papers dp1098, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1098
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    Cited by:

    1. Costa-Font, Joan & Hernández-Quevedo, Cristina & Jiménez-Rubio, Dolores, 2014. "Income inequalities in unhealthy life styles in England and Spain," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 13(C), pages 66-75.
    2. Joan Costa-Font & Frank Cowell, 2015. "Social Identity And Redistributive Preferences: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 357-374, April.
    3. Rokhaya Dieye & Bernard Fortin, 2017. "Gender Peer Effects Heterogeneity in Obesity," CIRANO Working Papers 2017s-03, CIRANO.
    4. Aisha Jalil & Qaisar Khalid Mahmood & Ahmed Usman & Akhlaq Ahmad, 2020. "Qualitative analysis of feminine morality and visible personality characteristics among young adults," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 54(3), pages 887-902, June.
    5. Arduini, Tiziano & Iorio, Daniela & Patacchini, Eleonora, 2019. "Weight, reference points, and the onset of eating disorders," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 170-188.
    6. Joan Costa-Font & Mireia Jofre-Bonet & Steven T. Yen, 2013. "Not All Incentives Wash Out the Warm Glow: The Case of Blood Donation Revisited," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(4), pages 529-551, November.
    7. Ana Balsa & Carlos Díaz, 2018. "Social interactions in health behaviors and conditions," Documentos de Trabajo/Working Papers 1802, Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales y Economia. Universidad de Montevideo..
    8. Strulik, Holger, 2023. "Hooked on weight control: An economic theory of anorexia nervosa and its impact on health and longevity," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    9. Costa-Font, Joan & Jofre-Bonet, Mireia, 2020. "Is the intergenerational transmission of overweight ‘gender assortative’?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    10. Costa-Font, Joan & Gil, Joan, 2013. "Intergenerational and socioeconomic gradients of child obesity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 29-37.
    11. Ryota Nakamura & Marc Suhrcke & Daniel John Zizzo, 2017. "A triple test for behavioral economics models and public health policy," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 83(4), pages 513-533, December.
    12. Costa-i-Font, Joan & Gil, Joan, 2013. "Intergenerational and socioeconomic gradients of childhood obesity," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 49487, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    13. Jonathan Norris, 2019. "Identify economics: social influence and skill development," Working Papers 1908, University of Strathclyde Business School, Department of Economics.
    14. Yue Ding & Ruimin Li & Xiaokun Wang & Joshua Schmid, 2022. "Heterogeneity of autonomous vehicle adoption behavior due to peer effects and prior-AV knowledge," Transportation, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 1837-1860, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    self-image; identity; body image; eating disorders; anorexia; European women;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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