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The Medical Care Costs of Youth Obesity: An Instrumental Variables Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Adam I. Biener
  • John Cawley
  • Chad Meyerhoefer

Abstract

This paper is the first to use the method of instrumental variables to estimate the causal impact of youth obesity on U.S. medical care costs. We examine data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2001-2013 and instrument for child BMI using the BMI of the child’s biological mother. IV estimates indicate that obesity raises annual medical care costs by $1,354 (in 2013 dollars) or 159%, which is considerably higher than previous estimates of the association of youth obesity with medical costs; thus, the cost-effectiveness of anti-obesity interventions have likely been underestimated. The costs of youth obesity are borne almost entirely by third party-payers, which is consistent with substantial externalities of youth obesity, which in turn represents an economic rationale for government intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Adam I. Biener & John Cawley & Chad Meyerhoefer, 2017. "The Medical Care Costs of Youth Obesity: An Instrumental Variables Approach," NBER Working Papers 23682, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23682
    Note: CH EH PE
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    Cited by:

    1. Lim, Jaegeum & Meer, Jonathan, 2018. "How do peers influence BMI? Evidence from randomly assigned classrooms in South Korea," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 17-23.
    2. Bozzi, Debra G. & Nicholas, Lauren Hersch, 2021. "A Causal Estimate of Long-Term Health Care Spending Attributable to Body Mass Index Among Adults," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    3. Black, Nicole & Hughes, Robert & Jones, Andrew M., 2018. "The health care costs of childhood obesity in Australia: An instrumental variables approach," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 1-13.
    4. Dang, Thang, 2017. "Body Weight and Hypertension Risk in a Developing Country," MPRA Paper 83182, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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