Does Moderate Weight Loss Affect Subjective Health Perception in Obese Individuals? Evidence from Field Experimental Data

Hafner L, Tauchmann H, Wübker A (2017)


Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Other publication type

Publication year: 2017

Abstract

This paper analyzes whether moderate weight reduction improves subjective health
perception in obese individuals. To cure possible endogeneity bias in the regression
analysis, we use randomized monetary weight loss incentives as instrument for
weight change. In contrast to related earlier work that also employed instrumental
variables estimation, identification does not rely on long-term, between-individuals
weight variation, but on short-term, within-individual weight variation. This allows
for identifying short-term effects of moderate reductions in body weight on subjective
health. In qualitative terms, our results are in line with previous findings pointing
to weight loss in obese individuals resulting in improved subjective health. Yet, in
contrast to these, we establish genuine short-term effects. This finding may encourage
obese individuals in their weight loss attempts, since they are likely to be immediately
rewarded for their efforts by subjective health improvments

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How to cite

APA:

Hafner, L., Tauchmann, H., & Wübker, A. (2017). Does Moderate Weight Loss Affect Subjective Health Perception in Obese Individuals? Evidence from Field Experimental Data.

MLA:

Hafner, Lucas, Harald Tauchmann, and A. Wübker. Does Moderate Weight Loss Affect Subjective Health Perception in Obese Individuals? Evidence from Field Experimental Data. 2017.

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