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Title: Food Stamp Program Participation and Obesity: Estimates from the NLSY79

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1.	Gibson, Diane M.
1.	Food Stamp Program Participation and Obesity: Estimates from the NLSY79 JCPR Working Paper No. 279, Joint Center for Poverty Research, September 2002. Also: http://www.jcpr.org/wp/WPprofile.cfm?ID=321 Cohort(s): NLSY79 Publisher: Joint Center for Poverty Research Keyword(s): Body Mass Index (BMI); Food Stamps (see Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program); Obesity Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher. This paper examines the relationship between Food Stamp Program (FSP) participation and adult obesity. Based on past empirical research and the human capital model of the demand for health developed by Grossman (1972), the expected relationship between FSP participation and obesity is indeterminate. This paper uses the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) to examine this relationship empirically and estimates reduced form models of the demand for health with obesity and body mass index (BMI) as the outcomes of interest. A benefit of using the NLSY79 is that it is possible to include detailed controls for current income, FSP participation and long-term eligibility for and participation in the FSP, as well as individual fixed effects. Current and long-term FSP participation are positively and significantly related to obesity and BMI for low-income women in models with individual fixed effects. The estimates suggest that benefits from the FSP do not have the same relationship to obesity and BMI as cash income or as other benefits provided by the government. Current FSP participation is associated with approximately a 9.2% increase in the predicted probability of obesity and five years of FSP participation in the previous five years is associated with approximately a 19.4% increase in the predicted probability of obesity for low-income women. The relationship between FSP participation and BMI, although statistically significant, is considerably smaller in percentage terms. Current FSP participation is associated with approximately a 0.7% increase in predicted BMI and five years of FSP participation in the previous five years is associated with approximately a 2.8% increase in predicted BMI for low-income women. Current and long-term FSP participation are not significantly related to obesity for low-income married men in models with individual fixed effects. However, long-term FSP participation is positively and significantly related to BMI. Five years of FSP participation in the previous five years is associated with approximately a 3.3% increase in predicted BMI for low-income married men.
	Bibliography Citation Gibson, Diane M. "Food Stamp Program Participation and Obesity: Estimates from the NLSY79." JCPR Working Paper No. 279, Joint Center for Poverty Research, September 2002.

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