Not Only in My Genes: The Effects of Peers' Genotype on Obesity

36 Pages Posted: 18 Nov 2019

See all articles by Giorgio Brunello

Giorgio Brunello

University of Padua

Anna Sanz‐de‐Galdeano

Universidad de Alicante

Anastasia Terskaya

University of Barcelona; University of Barcelona - Barcelona Institute of Economics (IEB)

Abstract

We use data from three waves of Add Health to study the short- and long-run effects of high school peers' genetic predisposition to high BMI – measured by grade-mates' average BMI polygenic scores – on adolescent and adult obesity in the U.S. We find that, in the short-run, a one standard deviation increase in peers' average BMI polygenic scores raises the probability of obesity for females by 2.8 percentage points, about half the size of the effect induced by a one standard deviation increase in one's own polygenic score. No significant effect is found for males. In the long-run, however, the social-genetic effect fades away, while the effect of one's own genetic risk for BMI increases substantially. We suggest that mechanisms explaining the short-run effect for females include changes in nutrition habits and a distorted perception of body size.

Keywords: obesity, peer effect, BMI polygenic scores, Add Health

JEL Classification: D62, I1, I12

Suggested Citation

Brunello, Giorgio and Sanz‐de‐Galdeano, Anna and Terskaya, Anastasia, Not Only in My Genes: The Effects of Peers' Genotype on Obesity. IZA Discussion Paper No. 12763, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3488190 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3488190

Giorgio Brunello (Contact Author)

University of Padua ( email )

Via 8 Febbraio
Padova, Vicenza 2-35122
Italy

Anna Sanz‐de‐Galdeano

Universidad de Alicante ( email )

Campus de San Vicente
Carretera San Vicente del Raspeig
San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante 03690
Spain

Anastasia Terskaya

University of Barcelona ( email )

Carrer de John Maynard Keynes, 1, 11
Barcelona, 08034
Spain

University of Barcelona - Barcelona Institute of Economics (IEB) ( email )

c/ John M. Keynes, 1-11
Barcelona, 08034
Spain

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