The association between socioeconomic status and adult fast-food consumption in the U.S.

Health follows a socioeconomic status (SES) gradient in developed countries, with disease prevalence falling as SES rises. This pattern is partially attributed to differences in nutritional intake, with the poor eating the least healthy diets. This paper examines whether there is an SES gradient in one specific aspect of nutrition: fast-food consumption. Fast food is generally high in calories and low in nutrients. We use data from the 2008, 2010, and 2012 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) to test whether adult fast-food consumption in the United States falls as monetary resources rise (n = 8136). This research uses more recent data than previous fast-food studies and includes a comprehensive measure of wealth in addition to income to measure SES. We find little evidence of a gradient in adult fast-food consumption with respect to wealth. While adults in the highest quintile are 54.5% less likely to report fast-food consumption than those in the lowest quintile, adults in the second and third quintiles are no less likely to report fast food–food intake than the poorest. Contrary to popular belief, fast-food consumption rises as income rises from the lowest to middle quintiles. The variation in adult fast-food consumption across income and wealth groups is, however, small. Those in the wealthiest quintile ate about one less fast-food meal on average than those in the lowest quintile. Other factors play a bigger role in explaining fast-food consumption: reading ingredient labels is negatively associated while soda consumption and hours of work are positively associated with fast-food consumption.Accepted manuscrip

A conceptual and empirical framework to analyze the economics of consumer food waste

We develop a microeconomic model to understand food waste of consumers. We capture at-home and away-from home food consumption and distinguish between food purchases and food consumption. We allow the consumer to choose the rate of food waste at home optimally to maximize her utility. We show that consumer purchases can decline or increase with a cut in the rate of consumer waste, depending on the elasticity of food demand. Using the UK data for poultry in 2012, we also show a case where for a price elastic demand food consumption increases with a reduction in the food waste rate, but food purchases (retail sales) increase

Sustainable Consumption of Food

One of the key areas for lifestyle change in the interest of sustainable consumption is the household diet. This paper identifies concrete scenarios for dietary alternatives to high calorie diets rich in fats and sugars, based on the specialized nutrition literature, that are likely to have salutary impact on both the environment and the personal quality of life. Rough estimates of the substantial implications for agriculture of a moderate diet-change scenario are discussed. The paper then describes an approach to more systematic quantitative analysis of alternative dietary scenarios through the integration of life-cycle analysis and an input-output model of the world economy that captures likely effects of shifting comparative advantage in agriculture. Vested interests that might resist these kinds of dietary changes are identified, and approaches are suggested for enlisting their support or countering their opposition.

A growth model of weight preferences, food consumption and public policy

Copyright @ 2013 Brunel University.In this paper we unify existing theories and empirical evidence on the origins of obesity and examine the e¤ects of scal policy on the dynamic evolution of weight. We build a dynamic general equilibrium growth model, with two sectors, one producing food and the other producing a composite consumption good. Weight is a function of rational choice as well as labor allocation between the two sectors. By estimating utility from weight and calibrating the US economy we show that (i) technological advances in agriculture decrease food prices and increase weight but not necessarily through higher food consumption but through lower calorie expenditure, (ii) reducing capital taxation, initially depresses weight levels through higher food prices; steady state food consumption decreases due to a price substitution e¤ect but weight soars due to lower calorie expenditure, (iii) reducing taxation on food increases food consumption and weight levels in equilibrium. Labor reallocation towards the less sedentary sector on one hand and higher income on the other function as contradictory forces

Higher Calorie Intakes Related to Higher Incomes in Northern Mozambique

Resultados das investigações do Departamento de Análise de Políticas MAP-Direcção de Economíafood security, food policy, Mozambique, food consumption, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q18,

PortFIR – An integrated data provider as support for the food policy-makers

Introduction: Portuguese Food Composition Table (TCA) is managed by the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA) and is publicly available on the Portuguese Food Information Resource (PortFIR) platform. PortFIR, besides food composition data, was designed to include data on food contamination and food consumption, in order to provide national data easily available in one platform. Objective:To compile and make widely available food-related data (food composition, food safety and food consumption), while providing science-based information, to support food policy-makers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED STATES: LOOKING AHEAD TO 2020

U.S. consumption of food commodities is projected to rise through the year 2020, mainly due to an increase in population. But the mix of commodities is expected to shift because of an older and more diverse population, rising income, higher educational attainment, improved diet and health knowledge, and growing popularity of eating out. This study analyzes data from USDA's food consumption survey to project the consumption, through the year 2020, of 25 food groups and 22 commodity groups. Per capita consumption of fish, poultry, eggs, yogurt, fruits, nuts and seeds, lettuce, tomatoes, some other vegetables, grains, and vegetable oils is predicted to rise, whereas consumption of beef, pork, other meat, milk, cheese, potatoes, and sugar is expected to fall. The growth of the at-home and away-from-home markets varies from one commodity to another. Fruit consumption is expected to lead all commodities in growth in the at-home market, and fish consumption is expected to lead in growth in the away-from-home market.Eating out, diet and health knowledge, food-commodity translation database, food consumption projections, commodity consumption projections, Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, 1994-96 and 1998, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Consumer surveys in Juva and Järna for identification of eco-local food baskets

In both Finland and Sweden a family member collected the receipts or filled in purchase diaries for all food entering the household for human consumption during 14 days period. Information on the amount, price, origin and environmental brand of all food products was recorded. After the recording period, the families were interviewed about their food choices, food consumption and food purchasing habits

Economic Development and Food Demand Changes: Production and Management Implications

Per capita food consumption and production changes during economic development are analyzed using a resource-based cereal equivalent measure. Diet up-grades to livestock products during economic development contribute to an increase in per capita food resource use by a factor of five or more. Food consumption changes are generally consistent across countries and are only marginally affected by a country’s food production resource base (land). Food consumption increases tend to exceed food production increases in early stages of development, leading to food import needs. In later stages of development, per capita food consumption stabilizes. Continued increases in production allow the closing of the consumption-production gap for some countries at high income levels. Consumption of pork and poultry meat show the largest percentage increase during economic development; however, beef and dairy products are less efficient in resource use and therefore command a majority of the productive resources for livestock production at all income levels.economic development, food consumption, agricultural self-sufficiency

Is Meat the New Tobacco? Regulating Food Demand in the Age of Climate Change

Switching from a meat-heavy to a plant-based diet is one of the highest-impact lifestyle changes for climate mitigation and adaptation. Conventional demand-side energy policy has focused on increasing consumption of efficient machines and fuels. Regulating food demand has key advantages. First, food consumption is biologically constrained, thus switching to more efficient foods avoids unintended consequences of switching to more efficient machines, like higher overall energy consumption. Second, food consumption, like smoking, is primed for norm- shifting because it occurs in socially conspicuous environments. While place-based bans and information regulation were essential in lowering the prevalence of smoking, the same strategies may be even more effective in reducing meat demand. Several policy reforms can be implemented at the federal level, from reform of food marketing schemes to publicly subsidized meal programs