1. TIME CONSTRAINTS, DURABLE CONSUMER GOODS AND THE PREVALENCE OF OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Karsten Albæk

2. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Aim of paper: Economic and econometric analysis of overweight and extreme overweight (obesity) in Western Europe Measure of weight: Body mass index BMI = weight in kilo/(height in meters) 2

3. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Idea: Analyze factors which affect energy balance intake of calories spending of calories Time use of importance? Durable consumer goods which affect time use: Cars Microwave ovens Dishwashers Formal modeling: Becker’s analysis of time use Extension: Take preferences of weight into account Deviations from preferred weight enter into the utility of the agents

4. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Data: European Community Household Panel Questions about weight and height 1998-2001 10 Western European countries: 5.500 to 21.500 males in each country ditto for females Pooled sample: about 107.000 males 105.000 females

5. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Econometric analysis: OLS results for each country Measures the impact of covariates on average BMI Quantile regression for pooled sample Measures the impact of covariates on different quantiles of the weight distribution Instrument analysis, potential endogeneity problem 2SLS instrumental quantile regression

6. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Conditioning variables, not included in presentation: Children Living alone Spouse not working fulltime Education Smoking Income Age Year dummies

7. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Summary statistics, Males Northern Europe FinlandSwedenDenmarkIrelandBelgium Mean of BMI25.787 (0.038) 25.462 (0.045) 25.327 (0.047) 25.578 (0.042) 25.320 (0.051) Share of overweight (BMI 25+) 0.536 (0.005) 0.512 (0.007) 0.483 (0.007) 0.531 (0.006) 0.481 (0.006) Share of obese (BMI 30+) 0.117 (0.003) 0.095 (0.004) 0.094 (0.004) 0.089 (0.003) 0.110 (0.004)

8. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Summary statistics, Males Southern Europe AustriaSpainPortugalItalyGreece Mean of BMI25.698 (0.039) 25.928 (0.029) 25.581 (0.028) 25.229 (0.023) 26.125 (0.031) Share of overweight (BMI 25+) 0.529 (0.005) 0.555 (0.004) 0.528 (0.004) 0.467 (0.003) 0.609 (0.004) Share of obese (BMI 30+) 0.111 (0.003) 0.129 (0.003) 0.091 (0.002) 0.081 (0.002) 0.101 (0.003)

9. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Summary statistics, Females Northern Europe FinlandSwedenDenmarkIrelandBelgium Mean of BMI24.622 (0.046) 24.134 (0.052) 23.985 (0.055) 24.195 (0.052) 23.744 (0.055) Share of overweight (BMI 25+) 0.383 (0.005) 0.332 (0.006) 0.326 (0.006) 0.345 (0.006) 0.296 (0.006) Share of obese (BMI 30+) 0.122 (0.003) 0.082 (0.004) 0.087 (0.004) 0.089 (0.004) 0.088 (0.003)

10. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Summary statistics, Females Southern Europe AustriaSpainPortugalItalyGreece Mean of BMI24.114 (0.046) 23.981 (0.034) 24.647 (0.035) 23.227 (0.027) 24.446 (0.038) Share of overweight (BMI 25+) 0.342 (0.005) 0.331 (0.004) 0.394 (0.004) 0.260 (0.003) 0.383 (0.004) Share of obese (BMI 30+) 0.092 (0.003) 0.094 (0.002) 0.102 (0.002) 0.057 (0.002) 0.082 (0.002)

11. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE FinlandSwedenDenmarkIrelandBelgium Males1.73 (1.10) 0.68 (0.69) 2.77* (1.16) 2.73* (1.37) 1.94 (1.52) Females1.37 (1.21) -0.21 (0.75) 0.52 (1.47) -0.76 (1.51) -1.42 (1.52) OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percent Possession of a car in the household Northern Europe

12. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE AustriaSpainPortugalItalyGreece Males 1.56 (1.32) 1.55* (0.66) 2.25** (0.75) 2.22* (0.92) 1.56** (0.56) Females 0.01 (1.30) 1.36 (0.73) -1.23 (1.02) -2.33* (1.08) -0.05 (0.66) OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percent Possession of a car in the household Southern Europe

13. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Comments, effect of car possession Males: Positive impact in all countries (significant in 6 out of 10) Females: Positive impact in 3 countries (none significant) Hypothesis, as most households in Europe only have one car: The male mostly uses the car As the female does not use the car as much as the male, the car has no detrimental effect on the weight of the female

14. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE FinlandSwedenDenmarkIrelandBelgium Males1.85 (1.07) 1.89** (0.53) 1.73* (0.74) 0.64 (0.86) 1.50 (0.84) Females-0.77 (1.26) 2.15** (0.62) 3.18** (0.94) 1.74 (1.10) 0.97 (0.91) OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percent Possession of a microwave oven in the household Northern Europe

15. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE AustriaSpainPortugalItalyGreece Males2.62** (0.61) 1.18** (0.44) -0.20 (0.58) 0.32 (0.36) -0.09 (0.52) Females2.06** (0.76) -0.53 (0.50) -0.11 (0.70) -0.63 (0.43) -1.06 (0.67) OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percent Possession of a microwave oven in the household Southern Europe

16. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Comments, effect of possession of a micro wave oven Northern Europe: Positive and significant effect on weight for both males and females in 4 out of 6 countries Southern Europe: No effect in 3 out of 4 countries (only a positive and significant effect for Spanish males) Hypothesis: different use of the micro wave oven, for example Northern Europe: Used to heat ready prepared food Southern Europe: Heat milk for cappuccino

17. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE FinlandSwedenDenmarkIrelandBelgium Males-0.46 (0.76) 0.05 (0.49) -0.34 (0.88) -0.72 (0.66) -0.77 (0.77) Females-1.04 (0.85) -1.79** (0.58) -1.74 (1.17) -0.48 (0.76) -2.11* (0.83) OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percent Possession of a dishwasher in the household Northern Europe

18. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE AustriaSpainPortugalItalyGreece Males-1.22 (0.68) -1.80** (0.49) 1.20 (0.68) -0.71* (0.35) -0.14 (0.44) Females-0.93 (0.77) -2.38** (0.51) -1.18 (0.79) -1.89** (0.45) -0.25 (0.60) OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percent Possession of a dishwasher in the household Southern Europe

19. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Comments, effect of possession of a dishwasher 18 out of 20 coefficients are negative 6 coefficients are significantly negative Fact: a dishwasher is an extremely time saving device Washing up by hand after a family of 4 takes often more than ½ hour This time could be used for something else Hypothesis: the time saved is used on something that reduces weight problems (for example making food instead of warming up ready prepared food)

20. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE FinlandSwedenDenmarkIrelandBelgium Males-1.02 (0.79) -0.34 (0.62) -0.62 (1.05) -1.17 (0.82) -0.35 (0.98) Females2.30** (0.78) 1.45** (0.54) -2.84** (1.05) 0.10 (0.82) 0.94 (0.80) OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percent Not working fulltime Northern Europe

21. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE AustriaSpainPortugalItalyGreece Males-0.81 (0.79) -1.11* (0.54) -1.67* (0.65) -0.89* (0.41) -1.11* (0.51) Females-0.63 (0.68) 1.27* (0.51) 1.17 (0.77) -0.04 (0.42) 0.73 (0.50) OLS results for determinants of log body mass index, percent Not working fulltime Southern Europe

22. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Comments, effect of not working full time: Males: The coefficients are negative for all countries (significantly negative in the 4 Southern European countries) Females: Mixed results 3 positive and significant coefficients 1 negative and significant coefficient Hypothesis: Males, who do not work full time, do not face as tight time constraints as males working full time

23. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Quantile, OLS and IV regressions results for the determinants of log body mass index, males, percent BMI=20BMI=20.5BMI= 25BMI=27.5BMI=30OLSIV- regression Car3.84** (0.55) 2.73** (0.23) 2.01** (0.20) 1.53** (0.25) 0.56 (0.40) 2.01** (0.21) 13.26* (5.57) Micro- wave oven 0.76* (0.38) 0.67** (0.18) 0.56** (0.14) 0.97** (0.17) 1.38** (0.28) 0.85** (0.14) 0.25 (0.37) Dish- washer -0.44 (0.35) -0.43* (0.19) -0.64** (0.16) -0.89** (0.20) -1.03** (0.25) -0.67** (0.14) -1.50** (0.50) Not fulltime worker -2.34** (0.38) -1.41** (0.20) -0.93** (0.17) -0.67** (0.21) -0.02 (0.28) -0.88** (0.16) 0.10 (0.50)

24. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Quantile, OLS and IV regressions results for the determinants of log body mass index, females, percent BMI=20BMI=20.5BMI= 25BMI=27.5BMI=30OLSIV- regression Car0.83** (0.24) 0.83** (0.24) -0.55 (0.28) -1.32** (0.44) -1.91** (0.48) -0.42 (0.24) 13.67 (8.51) Micro- wave oven 0.16 (0.18) 0.30 (0.17) 0.24 (0.26) 0.19 (0.28) 0.40 (0.36) 0.32 (0.17) -0.47 (0.54) Dish- washer -0.85** (0.19) -1.36** (0.17) -1.49** (0.20) -1.84** (0.27) -2.06** (0.44) -1.37** (0.17) -2.61** (0.89) Not fulltime worker -0.25 (0.16) 0.37* (0.18) 0.79** (0.21) 1.28** (0.24) 1.57** (0.32) 0.57** (0.15) 0.94** (0.30)

25. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE Potential endogeneity problem, car possession: Fat persons might buy a car because they are fat Instrument applied in the paper: Population density of residence (3 categories) Assumption: Residence does not directly affect BMI

26. OBESITY IN WESTERN EUROPE