A structural model of wealth, obesity and health in the UK

Abstract

Based on a household health production framework, this paper exploits the combination of socioeconomic, health and nutrition information from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey to analyze the endogenous relationship among wealth, nutrition, weight and the final health outcomes. Results show that higher wealth determines lower weight and better health as expected, but through a better diet rather than extra exercise or lower calorie consumption.Structural Equation Modelling, Body Mass Index, Diet, Blood Pressure, Income, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,