Rising cigarette prices and rising obesity: Coincidence or unintended consequence?

Courtemanche, Charles

doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2009.03.003

Cited by 84 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(47 reference statements)

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“…These findings are confirmed by additional self-reported information on eating habits showing that, after two years since the raise in excise tax, individuals are more likely to control their weight and choose to eat less. Consistently with the recent findings of Courtemanche (2009) and Wehby and Courtemanche (2012), we find that a 10-cent increase in tobacco excise taxes reduces average BMI by 2.5% over a two-year horizon, an effect which our dataset allows to link to a quantitative reduction in terms of both a lower amount of total nutrients ingested and a lower daily caloric intake.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…In line with the common wisdom and the medical evidence that cigarettes help reducing body weight, some studies find that a raise in cigarette prices (or excises) on average increases BMI (Chou et al, 2004;Rashad and Grossman, 2004;Rashad et al, 2006;Baum, 2009). Other papers point to the opposite direction, finding that an increase in cigarette prices decreases BMI (Gruber and Frakes, 2006;Courtemanche, 2009;Wehby and Courtemanche, 2012). Courtemanche (2009) shows that this mixed evidence can be reconciled if lags for cigarette prices or taxes are included in the analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Courtemanche (2009) argues that the effect of tobacco excise taxes on BMI may be appreciated only in the mediumlong term. This is because changes in cigarette smoking may lag excise tax changes, changes in food consumption may lag cigarette smoking, and finally BMI is likely to lag food consumption, as body-mass is a stock variable that is accumulated over time.…”

Section: Empirical Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other papers point to the opposite direction, finding that an increase in cigarette prices decreases BMI (Gruber and Frakes, 2006;Courtemanche, 2009;Wehby and Courtemanche, 2012). Courtemanche (2009) shows that this mixed evidence can be reconciled if lags for cigarette prices or taxes are included in the analysis. When lags are considered, all methodologies lead to the conclusion that cigarette price is negatively associated with BMI and obesity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These mechanisms are still under scrutiny and the related evidence is scarce. Using self-reported answers contained in the BRFSS dataset, Wehby and Courtemanche (2012) and Courtemanche (2009) suggest that the negative effect of prices is driven by increased exercising and an improved attitude towards health. Since self-reported measures are likely to be imprecise, these authors suggested that following research should employ a broader range of data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tobacco Taxes and Smoking Bans Impact Differently on Obesity and Eating Habits

2013

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Policy interventions aimed at affecting a specific behavior may also indirectly affect individual choices in other domains. In this paper we study the direct effect of tobacco excise taxes and smoking bans on smoking behavior, and the indirect effect on eating behavior and body weight. Using very detailed clinical data on individual health, smoking, and dietary habits, we show that antismoking policies are effective in reducing smoking, but their consequences on eating behavior dramatically depend on the specific implemented policy. Increasing excise taxes on tobacco decreases body weight and caloric intake, and it improves the quality of eaten food. Smoking bans, instead, do not significantly affect body weight, although they impact on the diet composition. Smoking bans in restaurants induce a significant rise in the quality of food and in daily caloric intake. Conversely, smoking bans in bars negatively affect the quality of the daily diet, as individuals eat more fats and less fibers, and drink more alcohol and caffeine.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Empirical Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tobacco Taxes and Smoking Bans Impact Differently on Obesity and Eating Habits

2013

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Do cigarette taxes affect children's body mass index? The effect of household environment on health

Mellor

2011

Health Econ.

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Several recent studies demonstrate a positive effect of cigarette prices and taxes on obesity among adults, especially those who smoke. If higher cigarette costs affect smokers' weights by increasing calories consumed or increasing food expenditures, then cigarette taxes and prices may also affect obesity in children of smokers. This study examines the link between child body mass index (BMI) and obesity status and cigarette costs using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-79 (NLSY79). Controlling for various child, mother, and household characteristics as well as child-fixed effects, I find that cigarette taxes and prices increase BMI in the children of smoking mothers. Interestingly, and unlike previous research findings for adults, higher cigarette taxes do not increase the likelihood of obesity in children. These findings are consistent with a causal mechanism in which higher cigarette costs reduce smoking and increase food expenditures and consumption in the household.

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Weight‐loss Dieting Behavior: An Economic Analysis

Rosin

2011

Health Economics

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In light of the widespread phenomena of diet failure and excessive dieting, this paper presents a theoretical economic analysis of the decision-making process of weight-loss dieting. The paper incorporates behavioral elements involved in the process of dieting: effort exerted in dieting, influence of social norms concerning body weight, time-inconsistent present biased preferences, and a distinction between naiveté and sophistication. The model explains cyclic dieting and provides interesting insights on the extent of weight-loss dieting. The extent of dieting is an increasing function of initial body weight and a decreasing function of the effort exerted in dieting and the strength of social norms concerning ideal weight. Income and diet strictness have an ambiguous effect. In addition, greater dieting efforts are not necessarily balanced against a slowdown in body metabolism or a higher initial body weight.

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Rising cigarette prices and rising obesity: Coincidence or unintended consequence?

Cited by 84 publications

References 42 publications

Tobacco Taxes and Smoking Bans Impact Differently on Obesity and Eating Habits

Tobacco Taxes and Smoking Bans Impact Differently on Obesity and Eating Habits

Do cigarette taxes affect children's body mass index? The effect of household environment on health

Weight‐loss Dieting Behavior: An Economic Analysis

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