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Author: Colman, Greg
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Colman, Greg
Rashad, Inas
Obesity and Depression: Establishing Causality
Copenhagen, Denmark, iHEA 2007 6th World Congress: Explorations in Health Economics Paper, International Health Economics Association World Congress, July 2007.
Also: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=995010
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79
Publisher: iHEA - International Health Economics Association
Keyword(s): Depression (see also CESD); National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); Obesity; Variables, Instrumental; Weight

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

In this paper we present an instrumental variables estimate of the effect of obesity on depression in females. Previous research has established a significant correlation between the two. The direction of causality, however, is unclear. We use employment data from the ES202 program and prices from the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association (ACCRA) as a vector of instruments for obesity to examine the independent effect of obesity on depression. In conducting this analysis, we employ micro-level data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), covering years 1988 to 1994, as well as data from the 1979 cohort of the Child-Young Adult National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79). We find marginal evidence that being obese actually causes levels of depression to increase. We conclude that unobservable characteristics influencing both obesity and depression are the likely causes of the strong correlation, and that factors such as perception of one's weight possibly play a greater role in determining levels of depression.
Bibliography Citation
Colman, Greg and Inas Rashad. "Obesity and Depression: Establishing Causality." Copenhagen, Denmark, iHEA 2007 6th World Congress: Explorations in Health Economics Paper, International Health Economics Association World Congress, July 2007.