Behavioral Economics, Food Assistance, and Obesity
Abstract
While there is mixed evidence of the impact of food assistance programs on obesity, there is general agreement that the food-insecure are at higher risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases. Food assistance programs, originally designed to overcome a lack of available food, now need to confront a very different problem: how to provide for the food-insecure while encouraging healthy lifestyles. This paper examines the potential to address these competing needs using traditional economic policies (manipulating information or prices) versus policies engaging behavioral economics and psychology.Download Info
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Article provided by Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association in its journal Agricultural and Resource Economics Review.
Volume (Year): 35 (2006)
Issue (Month): 2 (October)
Pages:
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Keywords: food assistance; behavioral economics; food insecurity; obesity; Consumer/Household Economics; Food Security and Poverty; Health Economics and Policy;References
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Christopher J. Ruhm, 2010.
"Understanding Overeating and Obesity,"
NBER Working Papers
16149, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Ruhm, Christopher J., 2012. "Understanding overeating and obesity," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 781-796.
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