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Overweight and obesity standards and subjective well-being: Evidence from China

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  • Zeng, Qiyan
  • Yu, Xiaohua

Abstract

The adult BMI cutoffs for overweight and obesity standards set by the Working Group on Obesity in China are exerting growing influence over daily life. Using the regression discontinuity design method, this paper confirms the existence of a statistically significant discontinuity in subjective well-being at the overweight and obesity cutoffs, respectively. The overweight standard causes a significant decrease in subjective well-being (SWB) by approximate 0.10 units, and the obesity standard by 0.14 units, both sizable. Thus the standard setting has profound social, economic and welfare impacts beyond the health scope.

Suggested Citation

  • Zeng, Qiyan & Yu, Xiaohua, 2019. "Overweight and obesity standards and subjective well-being: Evidence from China," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 144-148.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:33:y:2019:i:c:p:144-148
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2019.02.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Victor Iturra & Mauricio Sarrias, 2023. "The Impact of Bodyweight on Life Satisfaction among School-Aged Children: Are the Mechanisms Gender-Based?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(1), pages 135-165, February.
    2. Zeng, Qiyan & Yu, Xiaohua & Bao, Te, 2020. "Memory utility, food consumption and obesity," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    3. Lopez-Agudo, Luis Alejandro & Marcenaro-Gutierrez, Oscar David, 2021. "The relationship between overweight and academic performance, life satisfaction and school life," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    4. Kazuma Sato, 2021. "Unhappy and Happy Obesity: A Comparative Study on the United States and China," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1259-1285, March.
    5. Hui-Ling Chen & Po-Fu Lee & Yun-Chi Chang & Fu-Shu Hsu & Ching-Yu Tseng & Xin-Yu Hsieh & Chien-Chang Ho, 2020. "The Association between Physical Fitness Performance and Subjective Happiness among Taiwanese Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-11, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Subjective well-being; Overweight and obesity standard; Regression discontinuity design; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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