Working Paper: NBER ID: w16938
Authors: Robert W. Fogel; Nathaniel Grotte
Abstract: This summary of The Changing Body: Health, Nutrition, and Human Development in the Western World since 1700 (Cambridge) was prepared for presentation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health in March 2011. The book is built on the authors' work with 300 years of height and nutrition data and discusses their findings in the context of technophysio evolution, a uniquely modern form of rapid physiological development, the result of humanity's ability to control its environment and create technological innovations to adapt to it.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: I1; N31; N33
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| maternal malnutrition (I15) | health and longevity of offspring (I12) |
| technological innovations (O33) | physiological changes (I12) |
| improvements in height and health (I15) | labor force participation and productivity (J29) |
| increased food imports (Q17) | nutritional status (I31) |
| improvements in sanitation and diet (I14) | decline in mortality rates and improvements in health outcomes (I14) |