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Does consumption of processed foods explain disparities in the body weight of individuals? The case of Guatemala

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  • Abay Asfaw

Abstract

Overweight/obesity, caused by the ‘nutrition transition’, is identified as one of the leading risk factors for non‐communicable mortality. The nutrition transition in developing countries is associated with a major shift from the consumption of staple crops and whole grains to highly and partially processed foods. This study examines the contribution of processed foods consumption to the prevalence of overweight/obesity in Guatemala using generalized methods of moments (GMM) regression. The results show that all other things remaining constant, a 10% point increase in the share of partially processed foods from the total household food expenditure increases the BMI of family members (aged 10 years and above) by 3.95%. The impact of highly processed foods is much stronger. A 10% point increase in the share of highly processed food items increases the BMI of individuals by 4.25%, ceteris paribus. The results are robust when body weight is measured by overweight/obesity indicators. These findings suggest that increasing shares of partially and highly processed foods from the total consumption expenditure could be one of the major risk factors for the high prevalence of overweight/obesity in the country. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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  • Abay Asfaw, 2011. "Does consumption of processed foods explain disparities in the body weight of individuals? The case of Guatemala," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(2), pages 184-195, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:20:y:2011:i:2:p:184-195
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.1579
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    3. Purushotham, Anjali & Aiyar, Anaka & von Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan, 2021. "Dietary transition and its relationship with socio-economic status and peri-urban obesity," DARE Discussion Papers 2104, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE).
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    5. Philip Du Caju & Guillaume Périlleux & François Rycx & Ilan Tojerow, 2021. "A Bigger House at the Cost of an Empty Fridge? The Effect of Households' Indebtedness on Their Consumption: Micro-Evidence Using Belgian HFCS Data," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2021008, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    6. Julia Díez & Pedro Gullón & María Sandín Vázquez & Belén Álvarez & María Del Prado Martín & María Urtasun & Maite Gamarra & Joel Gittelsohn & Manuel Franco, 2018. "A Community-Driven Approach to Generate Urban Policy Recommendations for Obesity Prevention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, March.
    7. Philip Caju & Guillaume Périlleux & François Rycx & Ilan Tojerow, 2023. "A bigger house at the cost of an empty stomach? The effect of households’ indebtedness on their consumption: micro-evidence using Belgian HFCS data," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 291-333, March.
    8. Bethelhem Legesse Debela & Kathrin M. Demmler & Stephan Klasen & Matin Qaim, 2018. "Supermarket food purchases and child nutritional outcomes in Kenya," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 273227, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    9. Kimenju, Simon & Qaim, Matin, 2014. "The Nutrition Transition and Indicators of Child Malnutrition," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 195709, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    10. Zhou, Yijing & Du, Shufa & Su, Chang & Zhang, Bing & Wang, Huijun & Popkin, Barry M., 2015. "The food retail revolution in China and its association with diet and health," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 92-100.
    11. Kathryn Pavlovich & Alison Henderson & David Barling, 2021. "Organizing for thoughtful food: a meshwork approach," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(1), pages 145-155, February.
    12. Nadia A. Streletskaya & Wansopin Amatyakul & Pimbucha Rusmevichientong & Harry M. Kaiser & Jura Liaukonyte, 2016. "Menu‐Labeling Formats and Their Impact on Dietary Quality," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 175-188, April.
    13. Amy Damon & Devon Kristiansen, 2014. "Childhood obesity in Mexico: the effect of international migration," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(6), pages 711-727, November.
    14. Purushotham, Anjali & Aiyar, Anaka & von Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan, 2023. "Processed foods, socio-economic status, and peri-urban obesity in India," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    15. Rischke, Ramona & Kimenju, Simon C. & Klasen, Stephan & Qaim, Matin, 2015. "Supermarkets and food consumption patterns: The case of small towns in Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 9-21.
    16. Wisniewski, Suzanne L., 2017. "Childhood obesity among the poor in Peru: Are there implications for cognitive outcomes?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 51-60.
    17. Anthony Winson & Jin Young Choi, 2017. "Dietary regimes and the nutrition transition: bridging disciplinary domains," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(3), pages 559-572, September.

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