An economic investigation into the relationship between Food Stamp Program participation and obesity

This dissertation provides an economic analysis of the relationship between Food Stamp Program participation, fast food consumption, and the higher observed obesity prevalence among Food Stamp Program participants observed over the period 1988 to 1994. A theoretical model is developed to predict the role of Food Stamp Program benefits on participant weight levels through its affect on fast food consumption. A switching probit estimation framework is specified to test this theoretical prediction on three different specifications of the participant group and two different specifications of obesity on the sample of adults age 20 to 59 years. Results show that program participation positively affects fast food consumption for the average woman and reduces fast food consumption for the participating woman. Results also show that currently participating women who consume fast foods have an increased probability of being obese than current participants who do not consume fast foods.