Engines of Liberation Redux When Home Appliances Prices are Endogenous

We propose a model of the household where the transmission mechanism between home appliances and women’s labor supply is identical to the one in Greenwood et al. (2005b) with one important exception.We explicitly model firms’ pricing and output choices in the appliances sector and thus, the price of home appliances is determined endogenously by the laws of supply and demand rather than being taken exogenously from outside the model.We use this new framework to characterize the general equilibrium effects of rising household wages on the price of home appliances, and thus ultimately women’s labor supply. The ratio between the price of home appliances and household wages declines following a rise in the wage level, which leads to widespread adoption of home appliances and increased labor force participation of married women.A numerical example shows that rising wages account for half of the increase in participation of married women between 1960 and 1970

Design and Use of Rubrics in Undergraduate Economics Courses

The purpose of this paper is threefold; first we explain how rubrics can be used in undergraduate economics courses not only as an assessment tool, but also as an effective teaching and learning tool. Next, we show how to design a rubric, using a simple production possibilities frontier (PPF) example with a four-step method that can be applied to any short- answer assignment or exam question. Finally, we provide three additional examples of short- answer questions with accompanying answers and rubrics that instructors can study and use, in order to develop and improve their own rubric-writing skills

Blending Better Beverage Options: A Nutrition Education and Experiential Workshop for Youths

Objective. To reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in youths as a means to reduce obesity risk. Methods. Youths 5–14 years old attending a summer program were given a two-hour workshop addressing the sugar content in SSBs, the health risks from drinking SSBs, and hands-on preparation as well as tastings of low-sugar beverage alternatives. Data on usual intake of SSBs was obtained at baseline, and pre- and postprogram surveys were conducted to gauge change in knowledge and/or attitudes regarding SSBs. Results. There were 128 participants (63% male) in the program. SSBs were commonly consumed with over 80% reporting regular consumption (mean daily intake 17.9 ounces). Significant increase in knowledge regarding the sugar content of commonly consumed SSBs was achieved; however change in attitudes was not significant. The large majority of youths reported enjoying the workshop and intention to reduce intake of SSBs following program participation. Conclusion. SSBs are commonly consumed by youths. Knowledge regarding the sugar content of SSBs is easier to impart to youths than influencing attitudes held about these beverages. Long-term interventions that reach out to parents and address the widespread availability of SSBs are needed to influence resistant attitudes and beverage choosing behaviors in youths

The Relationship Between Meal Timing and Body Mass Index Readings of College Students

In this study the relation between Body Mass Index (BMI) of college students and the timing of their food consumption was investigated to see if the timing of students’ meals affects their metabolism and BMI. For this study a survey was developed and disseminated using email distribution lists, and the survey link was shared using social media.  By applying the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) Regression analysis results show that being older, female, and being a freshmen compared to being a senior contribute to higher BMI. In addition, less exercise, less smoking, more napping and more snacking contributed to a higher BMI. Finally, waking up later during school days, waking up earlier when there is no school, having lunch later when there is no school and lower frequency of food consumption per day were also correlated with higher BMI

Toward a Quantitative Theory of Food Consumption Choices and Body Weight

We propose a calibrated dynamic model of food consumption choices and body weight to study changes in daily caloric intake, weight, and the away-from-home share of calories consumed by adult men and women in the U.S. during the period between 1971 and 2006. Calibration reveals substantial preference heterogeneity between men and women. For example, utility losses stemming from weight gains are ten times greater for women compared to men. Counterfactual experiments show that changes in food prices and household income account for half of the increase in weight of adult men, but only a small fraction of women’s weight. We argue that quantitative models of food consumption choices and body weight have a unique role to play in future research in the economics of obesity

THE PRICE OF ONE SWEET CALORIE

We propose a new measure for food prices to further examine the impact of changes in food prices and real income on individuals’ eating decisions and weight. We calculate price per calorie for food consumed away from home and food consumed at home as the dollar amount spent by households on each food category divided by the number of calories consumed. We use our newly constructed time series for price per calorie as an input into a neoclassical model of eating decisions and weight. Our goal is to propose a quantitative explanation for the increase in calories consumed away from home as well as changes in weight for men and women 1971 and 2006. We find that prices determine the allocation of calories across food types, while income determines the total number of calories consumed and thus individuals' weight. Based on our results, we share the view that taxes on food will impact what people eat but will have limited effect on reducing the population body-mass index or the obesity prevalence