Francesco Bimbo

Adult obesity, food access, and eating habits in Italy: an empirical analysis

Purpose – Improving access to healthy foods is currently on the European Union health policy agenda, as a means to mitigate obesity. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between access to food stores and adult BMI in Italy, accounting also for the synergic role of individuals’ eating habits. Design/methodology/approach – To study the relationship between access to different food outlets, eating habits, and adult BMI in Italy, the authors combine three years of individual-level data with region-level food stores’ density measures and account for store location endogeneity using a Generalized Method of Moment estimator. Findings – While large stores and specialty fruit and vegetable stores show a BMI decreasing effect, local/convenience stores show little to no effect on adult BMI. The effect of access on adult BMI varies conditionally on dietary habits, since access to food outlets and healthy eating can have a synergic impact on reducing Italian adults’ BMI. Originality/value – The aut...

Insights for the Development of a Functional Fish Product : Drivers and Barriers, Acceptance, and Communication of Health Benefits

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore consumer acceptance of a new functional fish burger using a qualitative approach based on four focus group discussions conducted in selected major Italian cities. Results show that the development of functional fish products may bypass fish consumption barriers, combining convenience and health benefits delivered by functional ingredients. The acceptance of new functional fish products seems to be influenced positively by the enrichment of functional ingredients naturally present in fish, particularly omega-3 fatty acids. Consumer acceptance of this new product is also influenced by the use of different nutritional and health claims. Implications for marketers and policy makers and insights for further research are discussed in the conclusions.

Five-a-Day, Fruit and Vegetables Portions, and the Food Environment: The Italian Case

Italy has one of the largest per-capita consumption rates of fruits and vegetables (FV) among European Union countries. However, the number of adult Italians consuming the recommended daily amounts of FV is declining, especially in regions where the food retail industry’s expansion is lagging. In this article we investigate the effect of the food environment on the likelihood of adult Italians consuming five or more daily portions of FV, and on the probability of consuming more portions of FV. We combine individual-level data on adult Italians’ lifestyle with regional food retail structure measures. To correct for the endogeneity of the food environment, we use an identification strategy based on aggregate drivers of food stores’ location, and on the regional political climate affecting retail liberalization reforms. The results show that increased access affects positively the probability of consuming the daily-recommended amounts of FV, as well as the probability of consuming more portions of FV. However, the role of the food environment is less marked for individuals declaring it to experience a hardship to access supermarkets.

Economics of obesity: Nutrition and physical activities substitution effect

from children and parents for obesity and taste gene testing. Results: The first stage of the follow-up will cover early childhood development from the prenatal period until the age of 3 years. The ongoing analysis will study how mothers weight gain during pregnancy affects child’s weight and whether the environmental and genetic influences in development of obesity can be separated. The effect of genetic variation in bitter taste receptor on child feeding, eating patterns and weight gain will also be examined. Conclusions: The research aims not only at gaining information about the correlations between different factors affecting childhood obesity, but also at producing results having more practical applications for use of childhood obesity prevention in children and families. Funding: The STEPS study is funded by Academy of Finland, Paivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, Turku University Foundation, Juho Vainio Foundation and Finnish Cultural Foundation: Varsinais-Suomi Regional Fund.