Working Paper: NBER ID: w15005
Authors: Richard V. Burkhauser; John Cawley; Maximilian D. Schmeiser
Abstract: There are several ways to measure fatness and obesity, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The primary measure for tracking the prevalence of obesity has historically been body mass index (BMI). This paper compares long-run trends in the prevalence of obesity when obesity is defined using skinfold thickness instead of body mass index (BMI), using data from the full series of U.S. National Health Examination Surveys. The results indicate that when one uses skinfold thicknesses rather than BMI to define obesity, the rise in the prevalence of obesity is detectable ten to twenty years earlier. This underscores the importance of examining multiple measures of fatness when monitoring or otherwise studying obesity.
Keywords: obesity; body mass index; skinfold thickness; public health; health surveys
JEL Codes: I1; J11
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Rise in skinfold-defined obesity (F62) | Rise in BMI-defined obesity (F62) |
| Rise in skinfold-defined obesity (F62) | Earlier detection of obesity trends (I10) |
| Rise in BMI-defined obesity (F62) | Later detection of obesity trends (J11) |
| Statistically significant rise in skinfold-defined obesity (F62) | Importance of using multiple measures of fatness for obesity surveillance (I32) |
| Statistically significant rise in BMI-defined obesity (F62) | Importance of using multiple measures of fatness for obesity surveillance (I32) |