Inas Rashad

Fast-Food Restaurant Advertising on Television and its Influence on Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is an escalating problem around the world that is especially detrimental as its effects carry on into adulthood. In this paper we employ the 1979 Child–Young Adult National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to estimate the effects of television fast‐food restaurant advertising on children and adolescents with respect to being overweight. A ban on these advertisements would reduce the number of overweight children ages 3–11 in a fixed population by 18 percent and would reduce the number of overweight adolescents ages 12–18 by 14 percent. The elimination of the tax deductibility of this type of advertising would produce smaller declines of between 5 and 7 percent in these outcomes but would impose lower costs on children and adults who consume fast food in moderation because positive information about restaurants that supply this type of food would not be completely banned from television.

OBESITY AND TIME PREFERENCE : THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF DISCOUNTING THE FUTURE

Much focus has been placed on the obesity epidemic due to its high prevalence and the costs it imposes on society. Using 2004 data from the Roper Center, complemented with 2003 data from the Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System, this study analyses the possible effect that time preference has on health in the United States, as measured by the body mass index. After controlling for a variety of covariates and correcting for potential selectivity, some evidence of a positive association between time preference for the present and the body mass index can be found, particularly for males. Research in this area has policy implications in terms of creating incentives for those who lack self-control through the use of pre-commitment devices. Measures addressing self-control issues may be more effective in reducing the rising obesity rates across the world.

Trends in U.S. food prices, 1950–2007

The potential effect that food prices may have on the health of the U.S. population needs to be further explored, particularly in light of the rising food prices currently being observed. Declining food prices over time have been singled out as a main contributor, for example, to the rising trend in obesity. In this paper we use data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association, the Consumer Expenditure Survey, and the United States Department of Agriculture to analyze trends in various types of food prices, to create a food price index, and to estimate the price of a calorie. Results may be used by future researchers in estimating the health implications of these trends. We find that while the general trend in food prices has been declining, that of restaurant meal prices and prices of fruits and vegetables has risen over time. It is doubtful that the decline in food prices has been sufficiently large to account for the large increase in caloric intake that is said to have contributed to the obesity epidemic in the U.S.

Obesity and Diabetes: The Roles that Prices and Policies Play

The entrance of economics into the literature on obesity and diabetes has been instrumental in showing how people respond to incentives when maximizing their health. In this paper some of the roles that prices and policies have played in the surging obesity and diabetes rates across the world are addressed. The paper focuses on the possible role that prices of foods with high glycemic indexes play in determining blood sugar levels, and addresses the recent concern with high fructose corn syrup and genetically modified goods across the world. The possible links and implications suggest that future research in the area is urgently needed.

Employer-provided health insurance and the incidence of job lock: a literature review and empirical test

The incidence of ‘job lock’ in the health insurance context has long been viewed as a potential problem with employer-provided health insurance, a concept that was instrumental in the passage of the United States Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986, and later, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 1996. Several recent developments in healthcare in the USA include declining healthcare coverage and a noticeable shift in the burden of medical care costs to employees. If these developments cause employees with employer-provided health insurance to feel locked into their jobs, optimal job matches in the labor force may not take place. A summary of the seminal papers in the current literature on the topic of job lock is given, followed by an empirical exercise using single individuals from the National Health Interview Survey (1997–2003) and the 1979 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1989–2000). Econometric methods used include difference in differences, ordinary least squares and individual fixed effects models, in gauging the potential effect that employer-provided health insurance may have on job tenure and voluntary job departure. Our findings are consistent with recent assertions that there is some evidence of job lock. Individuals with employer-provided health insurance stay on the job 16% longer and are 60% less likely to voluntarily leave their jobs than those with insurance that is not provided by their employers. Productivity may not be optimal if incentives are altered owing to the existence of fringe benefits, such as health insurance. Further research in this area should determine whether legislation beyond the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act laws is needed.

Employer-Provided Health Insurance and the Incidence of 'Job-Lock': Is There a Consensus?

Several recent developments in health care in the United States include declining health care coverage, particularly that provided by employers, and a noticeable shift in the burden of medical care costs to employees. If these developments cause employees to feel locked into their jobs, optimal job matches in the labor force will not take place. Partly in response, the federal government has passed laws protecting health coverage for workers who switch jobs, with the passage of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 and later the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 1996. In this paper we summarize the current literature on the topic and present some findings using the National Health Interview Survey, focusing on the 1997-2003 period. Our findings are consistent with recent assertions that there is some evidence of job-lock.