Life satisfaction and body mass index: estimating the monetary value of achieving optimal body weight.

IF 4.1 3区经济学 Q1 ECONOMICS Review of Economics of the Household Pub Date : 2023-01-24 DOI:10.1007/s11150-022-09644-4

Kristjana Baldursdottir, Paul McNamee, Edward C Norton, Tinna Laufey Asgeirsdottir

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Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, obesity is one of the greatest public-health challenges of the 21st century. Body weight is also known to affect individuals' self-esteem and interpersonal relationships, including romantic ones. We estimate the "utility-maximizing" Body Mass Index (BMI) and calculate the implied monetary value of changes in both individual and spousal BMI, using the compensating income variation method and data from the Swiss Household Panel. We employ the Oster's method (Oster, 2019) to estimate the degree of omitted variable bias in the effect of BMI on life satisfaction. Results suggest that the optimal own BMI is 27.1 and 20.1 for men and women, respectively. The annual value of reaching optimal weight ranges from $7069 for women with underweight to $88,709 for women with obesity and between $95,165 for men with underweight to $32,644 for men with obesity. On average, women value reduction in their own BMI about four times higher than reduction in their spouse's BMI. Men, on the other hand, value a reduction in their spouse's BMI almost twice as much compared to a reduction in their own BMI. This highlights important gender differences and relative effects based on spousal BMI.

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生活满意度与体重指数：估算达到最佳体重的货币价值。

世界卫生组织指出，肥胖是 21 世纪最大的公共卫生挑战之一。众所周知，体重也会影响个人的自尊和人际关系，包括恋爱关系。我们采用补偿收入变化法和瑞士家庭面板数据，估算了 "效用最大化 "体重指数（BMI），并计算了个人和配偶体重指数变化的隐含货币价值。我们采用奥斯特方法（奥斯特，2019 年）估算了 BMI 对生活满意度影响的遗漏变量偏差程度。结果表明，男性和女性的最佳体重指数分别为 27.1 和 20.1。达到最佳体重的年价值从体重不足女性的 7069 美元到肥胖女性的 88 709 美元不等，从体重不足男性的 95 165 美元到肥胖男性的 32 644 美元不等。平均而言，女性对降低自身体重指数的重视程度约为降低配偶体重指数的四倍。另一方面，男性对降低配偶体重指数的重视程度几乎是降低自身体重指数的两倍。这凸显了重要的性别差异和基于配偶体重指数的相对影响。

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来源期刊

Review of Economics of the Household ECONOMICS-

CiteScore

9.30

自引率

3.90%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Review of Economics of the Household publishes high-quality empirical and theoretical research on the economic behavior and decision-making processes of single and multi-person households. The Review is not wedded to any particular models or methods. It welcomes both macro-economic and micro-level applications. Household decisions analyzed in this journal include · household production of human capital, health, nutrition/food, childcare, and eldercare, · well-being of persons living in households, issues of gender and power, · fertility and risky behaviors, · consumption, savings and wealth accumulation, · labor force participation and time use,· household formation (including marriage, cohabitation and fertility) and dissolution,· migration, intergenerational transfers,· experiments involving households,· religiosity and civility.The journal is particularly interested in policy-relevant economic analyses and equally interested in applications to countries at various levels of economic development. The Perspectives section covers articles on the history of economic thought and review articles. Officially cited as: Rev Econ Household

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