Working Paper: NBER ID: w24942
Authors: Osea Giuntella; Matthias Rieger; Lorenzo Rotunno
Abstract: In this paper, we investigate the effects of trade in foods on obesity in Mexico. To do so, we match data on Mexican food imports from the U.S. with anthropometric and food expenditure data. Our findings suggest that exposure to food imports from the U.S. explains about ten percent of the rise in obesity prevalence among Mexican women between 1988 and 2012. Pro-obesity effects are driven by areas more exposed to unhealthy food imports. We also find evidence in favour of a price mechanism. By linking trade flows to obesity, the paper sheds light on an important channel through which globalisation may affect health.
Keywords: trade; obesity; Mexico; food imports; public health
JEL Codes: F60; F61; I10; I12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| higher initial expenditure on processed foods (L66) | larger share of increases in US food exports (Q17) |
| US food exports (F10) | supply-side shifters of US food exports (F69) |
| state-level trends in obesity + covariates (I12) | obesity prevalence (I14) |
| US food imports (F10) | obesity prevalence among Mexican women (J15) |
| penetration of US foods (L66) | obesity prevalence among Mexican women (J15) |
| US food imports (F10) | changes in obesity rates (J11) |