Costa-i-Font, Joan and Gil, Joan (2006) Revisiting the ‘fat and jolly’ hypothesis: socio-environmental determinants of obesity and depression in Spain. Socio-Economic Review, 4 (3). pp. 513-542. ISSN 1475-1461
Abstract
The hypothesis of the reciprocal determination of obesity and depression (OD) epidemics, contrasts with the anecdotal wisdom of a person being ‘jolly and fat’, and calls for a better understanding of any underpinning socioenvironmental determinants. This paper deals with the influence of socioenvironmental factors (mainly social and personal interactions) in explaining the empirical association between OD. We draw upon a unique representative health survey from Spain; a country with a growing prevalence of both OD. We use instrumental variable methods to deal with reverse OD association and the existence of omitted confounding variables as common predictors. We find that in explaining the OD association, socio-environmental factors and especially family interactions appear to play a key intermediate effect rather than socioeconomic position. Finally, we find evidence of the significant gender differences and a particular effect of health-related lifestyles behind the OD association.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://ser.oxfordjournals.org/ |
| Additional Information: | © 2006 The Authors |
| Library of Congress subject classification: | R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine |
| Journal of Economic Literature Classification System: | I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I19 - Other I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I12 - Health Production: Nutrition, Mortality, Morbidity, Suicide, Substance Abuse and Addiction, Disability, and Economic Behavior I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I18 - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health |
| Sets: | Departments > Social Policy Departments > European Institute Research centres and groups > LSE Health |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Nov 2009 16:02 |
| URL: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/25897/ |
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