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Does greater unemployment make people thinner in Brazil?

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Listed:
  • Lívia Madeira Triaca
  • Paulo de Andrade Jacinto
  • Marco Túlio Aniceto França
  • César Augusto Oviedo Tejada

Abstract

The study seeks to analyze the impact of macroeconomic conditions on weight measures, such as BMI, overweight, obesity, and severe obesity in Brazil. We examine this relationship in the specific context of a middle‐income country that differs in many aspects from the high‐income countries usually considered in the literature. The study uses the microdata of VIGITEL in the period from 2006 to 2014 and the state unemployment rate as a proxy for macroeconomic conditions. The results showed that the relationship is robust and presents a procyclical pattern—increases in the unemployment rate reduce BMI, and this reduction is observed throughout the entire distribution, with statistically significant effects for measures of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity. These results agree with the findings for the United States but contradict the results found for Finland and Canada.

Suggested Citation

  • Lívia Madeira Triaca & Paulo de Andrade Jacinto & Marco Túlio Aniceto França & César Augusto Oviedo Tejada, 2020. "Does greater unemployment make people thinner in Brazil?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(10), pages 1279-1288, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:29:y:2020:i:10:p:1279-1288
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4139
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Chris Sampson’s journal round-up for 12th October 2020
      by Chris Sampson in The Academic Health Economists' Blog on 2020-10-12 11:00:03

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    1. Davillas, Apostolos & de Oliveira, Victor Hugo & Jones, Andrew M., 2022. "Model of Errors in BMI Based on Self‐reported and Measured Anthropometrics with Evidence from Brazilian Data," CINCH Working Paper Series (since 2020) 76143, Duisburg-Essen University Library, DuEPublico.

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