Weight gains from trade in foods: Evidence from Mexico

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Giuntella, Osea; Rieger, Matthias; Rotunno, Lorenzo
• 署名单位: Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); University of Pittsburgh; Erasmus University Rotterdam; Erasmus University Rotterdam - Excl Erasmus MC; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD); Aix-Marseille Universite
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-1996
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2019.103277
• 发表日期: 2020
• 关键词: trade; obesity; nutrition transition; Mexico

摘要

In this paper, we investigate the effects of trade in foods on obesity in Mexico. To do so, we match data on Mexican food imports from the U.S. with anthropometric and food expenditure data. Our findings suggest that exposure to food imports from the U.S. can explain up to 20% of the rise in obesity prevalence among Mexican women between 1988 and 2012. Pro-obesity effects are driven by areas more exposed to unhealthy food imports. We also find evidence in favour of a price mechanism. By linking trade flows to obesity, the paper sheds light on an important channel through which globalisation may affect health. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.