Does falling smoking lead to rising obesity?

Jonathan Gruber*, Michael Frakes

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

147 Scopus citations

Abstract

The strong negative correlation over time between smoking rates and obesity have led some to suggest that reduced smoking is increasing weight gain in the U.S. This conclusion is supported by the findings of Chou et al. [Chou, S.-Y., Grossman, M., Saffer, H., 2004. An economic analysis of adult obesity: results from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system. Journal of Health Economics 23, 565-587], who conclude that higher cigarette prices lead to increased body weight. We investigate this issue and find no evidence that reduced smoking leads to weight gain. Using the cigarette tax rather than the cigarette price and controlling for non-linear time effects, we find a negative effect of cigarette taxes on body weight, implying that reduced smoking leads to lower body weights. Yet our results, as well as Chou et al., imply implausibly large effects of smoking on body weight. Thus, we cannot confirm that falling smoking leads in a major way to rising obesity rates in the U.S.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)183-197
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Health Economics
Volume25
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2006

Funding

Michael D. Frakes gratefully acknowledges financial support from the National Science Foundation and from Harvard Law School's John M. Olin Center for Law, Economics and Business.

Keywords

  • Obesity
  • Tobacco

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health Policy
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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