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Obesity inequality and the changing shape of the bodyweight distribution in China

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  • Nie, Peng
  • Ding, Lanlin
  • Sousa-Poza, Alfonso

Abstract

Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, this study analyses changes in bodyweight (body mass index and waist circumference) distributions between 1991 and 2011 among adults aged 20+ in China. To do so, we quantify the source and extent of temporal changes in bodyweight and then decompose the increase in obesity prevalence into two components: a rightward shift of the bodyweight distribution (mean growth) and a (re)distributional skewing. Our analysis reveals a clear rightward distributional shift combined with a leftward skewing. Although the relatively large size of this skewing in the first decade analysed reflects an increase in obesity inequality, this inequality growth subsides in the second decade. Nevertheless, over the entire 20-year period, obesity inequality increases significantly, especially among females, younger age groups, residents in rural and western provinces, and individuals with low socioeconomic status.

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  • Nie, Peng & Ding, Lanlin & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso, 2019. "Obesity inequality and the changing shape of the bodyweight distribution in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:58:y:2019:i:c:s1043951x19301099
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2019.101348
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    1. David E. Bloom & Victoria Y. Fan & Vadim Kufenko & Osondu Ogbuoji & Klaus Prettner & Gavin Yamey, 2021. "Going beyond GDP with a parsimonious indicator: inequality-adjusted healthy lifetime income," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 19(1), pages 127-140.
    2. Lanlin Ding & Andrew M. Jones & Peng Nie, 2022. "Ex ante Inequality of Opportunity in Health among the Elderly in China: A Distributional Decomposition Analysis of Biomarkers," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(4), pages 922-950, December.
    3. Nie, P. & Ding, L. & Jones, A.M., 2020. "Inequality of opportunity in bodyweight among middle-aged and older Chinese: a distributional approach," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 20/14, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    4. Meng, Fan & Nie, Peng & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso, 2023. "Obesity inequality and well-being in Germany," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    5. Vijayasivajie, Anushiya & Mukhopadhaya, Pundarik & Heaton, Chris, 2023. "An investigation of body mass distributional changes in Australia, 1995–2017/18," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Body mass index; China; Decomposition; Obesity inequality; Waist circumference;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D30 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - General
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality

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