Financial health and obesity

Alessandra Guariglia; Mark Monahan; Karen Pickering; Tracy Roberts

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113665

Financial health and obesity

Alessandra Guariglia, Mark Monahan, Karen Pickering, Tracy Roberts

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We use individual-level panel data from the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing over the period 2004–2013 to investigate the links between financial health and obesity. We find that having no debt (high savings) is associated with a 3.6 (1.6) percentage point lower probability of having a Body Mass Index in excess of 30. Our results are robust to using different estimation methods, to measuring financial health with a subjective indicator, and adiposity with waist circumference. A lower rate of time preference and lower stress levels may be mechanisms which help to explain the association between good financial health and obesity.

Original language	English
Article number	113665
Journal	Social Science and Medicine
Volume	276
Early online date	6 Jan 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113665
Publication status	Published - May 2021

Keywords

Ageing
Financial health
Indebtedness
Obesity
Savings

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health(social science)
History and Philosophy of Science

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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title = "Financial health and obesity",

abstract = "We use individual-level panel data from the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing over the period 2004–2013 to investigate the links between financial health and obesity. We find that having no debt (high savings) is associated with a 3.6 (1.6) percentage point lower probability of having a Body Mass Index in excess of 30. Our results are robust to using different estimation methods, to measuring financial health with a subjective indicator, and adiposity with waist circumference. A lower rate of time preference and lower stress levels may be mechanisms which help to explain the association between good financial health and obesity.",

keywords = "Ageing, Financial health, Indebtedness, Obesity, Savings",

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AU - Guariglia, Alessandra

AU - Monahan, Mark

AU - Pickering, Karen

AU - Roberts, Tracy

PY - 2021/5

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AB - We use individual-level panel data from the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing over the period 2004–2013 to investigate the links between financial health and obesity. We find that having no debt (high savings) is associated with a 3.6 (1.6) percentage point lower probability of having a Body Mass Index in excess of 30. Our results are robust to using different estimation methods, to measuring financial health with a subjective indicator, and adiposity with waist circumference. A lower rate of time preference and lower stress levels may be mechanisms which help to explain the association between good financial health and obesity.

KW - Ageing

KW - Financial health

KW - Indebtedness

KW - Obesity

KW - Savings

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VL - 276

JO - Social Science and Medicine

JF - Social Science and Medicine

M1 - 113665

ER -

Financial health and obesity

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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