IMPATIENCE, INCENTIVES AND OBESITY

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Courtemanche, Charles; Heutel, Garth; McAlvanah, Patrick
• 署名单位: University System of Georgia; Georgia State University; National Bureau of Economic Research; University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Greensboro
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1111/ecoj.12124
• 发表日期: 2015
• 页码: 1-31
• 关键词: time preference; overweight; welfare; HEALTH; RISK; decisions; addiction; discount; frames; price

摘要

This article explores the relationship between time preferences, economic incentives and body mass index (BMI). We provide evidence of an interaction effect between time preference and food prices, with cheaper food leading to the largest weight gains among those exhibiting the most impatience. The interaction of changing economic incentives with heterogeneous discounting may help explain why increases in BMI have been concentrated amongst the distribution's right tail. We also model time-inconsistent preferences by computing individuals' quasi-hyperbolic discounting parameters. Both long-run patience and present-bias predict BMI, suggesting obesity is partly attributable to both rational intertemporal tradeoffs and time inconsistency.