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Does Proximity to Fast Food Cause Childhood Obesity? Evidence from Public Housing

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Abstract

We examine the causal link between proximity to fast food and the incidence of childhood obesity among low-income households in New York City. Using individual-level longitudinal data on students living in public housing linked to restaurant location data, we exploit the naturally occurring withindevelopment variation in distance to fast food restaurants to estimate the impact of proximity on obesity. Since the assignment of households to specific buildings is based upon availability at the time of assignment to public housing, the distance between student residence and retail outlets—including fast food restaurants, wait-service restaurants, supermarkets, and corner stores—is plausibly random. Our credibly causal estimates suggest that childhood obesity increases with proximity to fast food, with larger effects for younger children.

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  • Jeehee Han & Amy Ellen Schwartz & Brian Elbel, 2020. "Does Proximity to Fast Food Cause Childhood Obesity? Evidence from Public Housing," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 228, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    • Handle: RePEc:max:cprwps:228
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    1. Natalija Plasonja & Anna Brytek-Matera & Greg Décamps, 2021. "French validation of the Weight Efficacy Life-Style questionnaire (WEL): Links with mood, self-esteem and stress among the general population and a clinical sample of individuals with overweight and o," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-24, November.
    2. Christopher Rick & Jeehee Han & Spencer Shanholtz & Amy Ellen Schwartz, 2022. "Examining the Link Between Gentrification, Children’s Egocentric Food Environment, and Obesity," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 245, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    3. Ahlfeldt, Gabriel M. & Gobillon, Laurent, 2021. "Introduction to the Special issue: “Emerging Trends in Urban Economics”," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    4. Dolton, Peter J. & Tafesse, Wiktoria, 2022. "Childhood obesity, is fast food exposure a factor?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Urban Neighborhoods; Food Environment; Child Health and Obesity; Public Housing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R38 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Government Policy
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • L83 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism

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