Fat City: Questioning the Relationship between Urban Sprawl and Obesity

27 Pages Posted: 20 May 2008

See all articles by Jean Eid

Jean Eid

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Henry G. Overman

London School of Economics (LSE) - Department of Geography and Environment; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Diego Puga

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional (CREI)

Matthew Turner

University of Toronto

Date Written: March 2007

Abstract

We study the relationship between urban sprawl and obesity. Using data that tracks individuals over time, we find no evidence that urban sprawl causes obesity. We show that previous findings of a positive relationship most likely reflect a failure to properly control for the fact the individuals who are more likely to be obese choose to live in more sprawling neighbourhoods. Our results indicate that current interest in changing the built environment to counter the rise in obesity is misguided.

Keywords: Obesity, selection effects, urban sprawl

JEL Classification: I12, R14

Suggested Citation

Eid, Jean and Overman, Henry G. and Puga, Diego and Turner, Matthew A., Fat City: Questioning the Relationship between Urban Sprawl and Obesity (March 2007). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP6191, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1134232

Jean Eid (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Henry G. Overman

London School of Economics (LSE) - Department of Geography and Environment ( email )

Houghton Street
London, WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom
+44 20 7955 6581 (Phone)
+44 20 7955 7412 (Fax)

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Diego Puga

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional (CREI) ( email )

Ramon Trias Fargas, 25-27
Barcelona, 08005
Spain

Matthew A. Turner

University of Toronto ( email )

Department of Economics
150 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G7
Canada

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
3
Abstract Views
1,122
PlumX Metrics