Junk-food, home cooking, physical activity and obesity: The effect of the fat tax and the thin subsidy

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Yaniv, Gideon; Rosin, Odelia; Tobol, Yossef
• 署名单位: College of Management Academic Studies; Bar Ilan University; Ariel University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2009.02.004
• 发表日期: 2009
• 页码: 823-830
• 关键词: Junk-food; Home cooking; Physical activity; obesity; fat tax; Thin subsidy

摘要

In an effort to reduce the growing prevalence of obesity, a tax on junk-foods, known as 'fat tax', has been proposed, the revenue from which could be used to finance a 'thin subsidy' for healthy foods or exercising equipment. The present paper addresses the fat tax and thin subsidy within a food-intake rational-choice model. Assuming that healthy meals are cooked at home with purchased ingredients and time input, the paper examines the effects on obesity of a tax on junk-food meals and a subsidy to cooking ingredients, distinguishing between a weight-conscious and a non-weight conscious individual, and between a weight-conscious individual who is physically active and physically inactive. The results show that for a non-weight conscious individual a fat tax will unambiguously reduce obesity, whereas a thin subsidy may increase obesity. However, for a weight-conscious individual, particularly one who is physically active. even a fat tax may increase obesity, as it may reduce not just the consumption of junk-food, but also the time devoted to physical activity. The paper explores conditions under which obesity will rise, fall, or remain intact following the introduction of a fat tax or a thin subsidy. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.