The Economics of Food Consumption, Caloric Intake, and Obesity

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‘Fat taxes‘ are often proposed to combat obesity. Indeed, economics suggests that an increase in the price of a specific food item leads to a decrease in its demand. However, the effect on total calorie consumption and so obesity is less clear; this will depend on the availability and caloric densities of any substitute foods. Similarly, an increase in household income will not necessarily increase consumption. The demand for certain foods may rise (e.g. luxury foods) whilst the demand for others may fall (potatoes are the classic example). In addition, the effect of price and income changes may be different for different household members: for example, some studies find income shocks to negatively affect nutritional outcomes for adults/elderly, but not for children, suggesting that adults give up food to ensure adequate nutrition for their children.Due to a lack of data however, there has been relatively little research into individuals‘ responses to price and income changes. This study aims to redress this. Using a unique dataset, it aims to quantify how individuals respond to price and income changes, examining short (calorie consumption) and longer term outcomes (obesity) and estimating whether there are differential effects for adults, children and the elderly.