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The Effect of Food and Beverage Prices on Children's Weights

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  • Wendt, Minh
  • Todd, Jessica E.

Abstract

One factor that may be important in explaining rising childhood obesity is food prices. This report explores the effect of food prices on children’s Body Mass Index (BMI) using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) and the Quarterly Food-at-Home Price Database. On average, higher prices for soda, 100 percent juices, starchy vegetables, and sweet snacks are associated with lower BMIs among children. In addition, lower prices for dark green vegetables and lowfat milk are associated with reduced BMI. The effect of subsidizing healthy food may be just as large as raising prices of less healthy foods.

Suggested Citation

  • Wendt, Minh & Todd, Jessica E., 2011. "The Effect of Food and Beverage Prices on Children's Weights," Economic Research Report 134705, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uersrr:134705
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.134705
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Todd, Jessica E. & Leibtag, Ephraim S. & Penberthy, Corttney, 2011. "Geographic Differences in the Relative Price of Healthy Foods," Economic Information Bulletin 117976, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
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    10. Todd, Jessica E. & Leibtag, Ephraim S., 2010. "New Database Shows Substantial Geographic Food Price Variation," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, pages 1-2.
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    Cited by:

    1. Valdes, R. & Von Cramon, S. & Engler, A., 2018. "The role of fuel prices on the wholesale price relationships between horticultural markets," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277064, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Volpe, Richard & Leibtag, Ephraim S. & Roeger, Edward, 2013. "How Transport Costs Affect Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Prices," Economic Research Report 161355, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    3. Patricia I. Ritter, 2018. "Soda Consumption in the Tropics: The Trade-Off between Obesity and Diarrhea in Developing Countries," Working papers 2018-16, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics, revised Aug 2020.
    4. Kumcu, Aylin & Okrent, Abigail M ., 2014. "Methodology for the Quarterly Food-Away-From-Home Prices Data," Technical Bulletins 184292, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Patricia I. Ritter, 2019. "The Effect of Piped Water at Home on Childhood Overweight Rate. Experimental Evidence from Urban Morocco," Working papers 2019-02, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics, revised Feb 2021.
    6. Gračner, Tadeja, 2021. "Bittersweet: How prices of sugar-rich foods contribute to the diet-related disease epidemic in Mexico," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

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