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I'm not fat, just too short for my weight - Family Child Care and Obesity in Germany

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Author Info
Philippe Mahler () (Socioeconomic Institute, University of Zurich)
Abstract

Obesity is increasing worldwide for both adults and children. Genetic disposition is responsible for some variation in body weight but cannot explain the dramatic increase in the last two decades. The increase must be due to structural and behavioral changes. One such behavioral change is the increase in working females in the last decades. The absence from the mother reduces potential child care time in the family. Reduced child care time may have adverse effects on the prevalence of obesity in children and adults. This paper analyzes the effect of mother’s labor supply in childhood on young adults probability of being obese in Germany. Using a sample drawn from the German Socio-Economic Panel the results show that a higher labor supply of the mother increases the probability for her child to be obese as young adult. This result underlines the importance of childhood environment on children’s later life outcome and the importance of behavioral changes in explaining the increase in obesity.

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File URL: http://www.soi.uzh.ch/research/wp/2007/wp0707.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute in its series Working Papers with number 0707.

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Length: 27 pages
Date of creation: May 2007
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:soz:wpaper:0707

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Related research
Keywords: GSOEP; obesity; female labor supply; child care; sibling estimation;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Production
J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
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  1. Hamermesh, Daniel S & Biddle, Jeff E, 1994. "Beauty and the Labor Market," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(5), pages 1174-94, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Giorgio Brunello & Beatrice d'Hombres, 2006. "Does Body Weight affect Wages? Evidence from Europe," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0027, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno". [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. John Cawley & Markus M. Grabka & Dean R. Lillard, 2005. "A Comparison of the Relationship between Obesity and Earnings in the U.S. and Germany," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 125(1), pages 119-129.
  4. David Cutler & Edward Glaeser & Jesse Shapiro, 2003. "Why Have Americans Become More Obese?," NBER Working Papers 9446, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Tomas J. Philipson & Richard A. Posner, 1999. "The Long-Run Growth in Obesity as a Function of Technological Change," NBER Working Papers 7423, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Komlos, John & Smith, Patricia K. & Bogin, Barry, 2003. "Obesity and the Rate of Time Preference: Is there a Connection?," Discussion Papers in Economics 60, University of Munich, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  7. Darius Lakdawalla & Tomas Philipson, 2002. "The Growth of Obesity and Technological Change: A Theoretical and Empirical Examination," NBER Working Papers 8946, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Anderson, Patricia M. & Butcher, Kristin F. & Levine, Phillip B., 2003. "Maternal employment and overweight children," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 477-504, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Classen, Timothy & Hokayem, Charles, 2005. "Childhood influences on youth obesity," Economics and Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 3(2), pages 165-187, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Philippe Mahler & Rainer Winkelmann, 2004. "Secondary School Track Selection of Single-Parent Children – Evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel," Working Papers 0415, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Oct 2005. [Downloadable!]
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