Chris Blattman

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How do changes in the supply of fast food restaurants affect obesity?

Among ninth graders, a fast food restaurant within 0.1 miles of a school results in a 5.2 percent increase in obesity rates.

Among pregnant women, a fast-food restaurant within 0.5 miles of residence results in a 1.6 percent increase in the probability of gaining over 20 kilos.

The implied effects on caloric intake are one order of magnitude larger for children than for mothers, consistent with smaller travel cost for adults.

Non-fast food restaurants and future fast-food restaurants are uncorrelated with weight outcomes.

A new paper in AEJ Policy, by Janet Currie, Stefano Della Vigna, Enrico Moretti and Vikram Pathania. Ungated version here.

One Response

  1. When I was in high school, field trips buses would often stop at fast food joints on the way back, letting students chow down just a few minutes from the school. When we got to a certain age and had a driver’s license, we were allowed to leave campus during the lunch hour – the only places close and quick enough to get anything were Dominos, Burger King, or McDonald’s.

    Nearly ten years later, a quick visual count of my classmates on facebook reveals that more than half ot them are now obese… yikes.

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