Vox:
Nature versus nurture in obesity: New evidence from adoptee data
2 June 2016
Obesity, particularly in children, is a major health concern in many developed economies, where it presents a costly risk to health services. Any policy response must take into account the inter-generational transmission of overweightness and obesity to children. This column uses evidence from the Health Survey of England to assess the extent to which nature and nurture factors play a role in the overweightness of children. It finds that any effective policy action must tackle parental overweightness to lower rates of overweightness in children.
This article was published by Vox on June 2, 2016
Link to article here
Related publications
Vertical Transmission of Overweight: Evidence From English Adoptees, Joan Costa Font, Mireia Jofre-Bonet and Julian Le Grand, Centre for Economic Performance Discussion Paper No.1324, January 2015
Related Links
Joan Costa Font is an Alumni of the Wellbeing Programme.