The effects of farm and food policy on obesity in the United States / Julian M. Alston, Abigail M. Okrent.
| Author/creator | Alston, Julian M. author. |
| Other author | Okrent, Abigail Mary author. |
| Format | Electronic |
| Publication Info | New York, NY : Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. |
| Description | 1 online resource. |
| Supplemental Content | EBSCOhost |
| Subjects |
| Series | Palgrave studies in agricultural economics and food policy Palgrave studies in agricultural economics and food policy. ^A1325218 |
| Contents | The Effects of Farm and Food Policy on Obesity in the United States; Foreword; Preface and Acknowledgments; Contents; List of Abbreviations; List of Figures; List of Tables; 1 Introduction; 1.1 The US Obesity Epidemic; 1.2 The Policy Challenge; 1.3 Outline and Overview; 1.4 Target Audience; 2 Obesity in America; 2.1 Concepts and Measures of Obesity; 2.1.1 The Main Alternative Indexes; 2.1.2 Comparing BMI with the Alternatives; 2.2 US Obesity Rates; 2.2.1 Sociodemographic Patterns; 2.2.2 Projections; 2.2.3 Childhood obesity; 2.3 International Comparisons; 2.4 Conclusion; Appendix; Notes. |
| Contents | 3 Consequences of Obesity; 3.1 Health Consequences of Obesity; 3.1.1 Obesity-Related Adult Mortality and Morbidity; 3.1.2 Obesity-Related Mortality and Morbidity Among Children; 3.2 Private Costs of Obesity; 3.2.1 Presenteeism, Absenteeism, and Wages; 3.2.2 Private Expenditure on Weight Loss; 3.2.3 Health-Care Costs; 3.3 Social Costs of Obesity; 3.3.1 Social Costs of Lost Productivity; 3.3.2 Social Costs of Health Insurance; 3.3.3 Estimates of the Deadweight Losses Associated with Public Health Insurance; 3.4 Conclusion; Notes; 4 Causes of Obesity: Individual Physiology and Consumption Choices. |
| Contents | 4.1 Human Physiology and Obesity; 4.1.1 Energy Balance Equation and Obesity; 4.1.2 Genetic Aspects; 4.1.3 The Dynamics of Obesity; 4.2 Behavioral Aspects: The Role of Choice; 4.2.1 Changes in Diet (and Possible Causes); 4.2.2 Changes in Activity and Exercise (and Possible Causes); 4.2.3 Other Lifestyle Changes; 4.3 Summary and Conclusion; Notes; 5 Causes of Obesity: External Influences; 5.1 Environmental Factors; 5.1.1 Evidence on General Environmental Effects; 5.1.2 Social Environment; 5.1.3 Built Environment; 5.1.4 Synopsis on Environmental Factors; 5.2 Market Factors. |
| Contents | 5.2.1 Rising Personal Disposable Incomes; 5.2.2 Food Prices and Obesity; 5.2.3 Opportunity Cost of Time; 5.2.4 Health-Care Markets; 5.3 Role of the Food Industry; 5.4 Role of Technology; 5.5 Government Policies (or the Lack Thereof); 5.5.1 Farm Policies; 5.5.2 Food Policies; 5.6 Summary and Conclusion; Notes; 6 Role for Government: In Principle; 6.1 Perspectives on Personal Responsibility; 6.2 A Case for Government Intervention?; 6.2.1 Paternalism; 6.2.2 "Public Health"; 6.2.3 An Economic Rationale Based on the Kaldor-Hicks Criterion; 6.2.4 Obesity Externalities; 6.2.5 Imperfect Information. |
| Contents | 6.3 Potential Government Interventions; 6.3.1 An Economic Model of an Obesity Externality; 6.3.2 Issues About Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Equity; Note; 7 US Farm Subsidies and Obesity; 7.1 Popular Views on Farm Subsidies and Obesity; 7.2 Overview of US Farm Policies; 7.2.1 The Farm Bill; 7.2.2 Subsidies for Program Commodities; 7.2.3 Broader Representation of Farm Price and Income Supports; 7.3 Linking Farm Subsidies to Food Prices and Consumption; 7.3.1 A Simplistic Model Is Misleading; 7.3.2 Corn Policy Complexities; 7.3.3 Farm Subsidies and Commodity Prices: Some Estimates. |
| Abstract | This book uses an economic framework to examine the consequences of U.S. farm and food policies for obesity, its social costs, and the implications for government policy. Drawing on evidence from economics, public health, nutrition, and medicine, the authors evaluate past and potential future roles of policies such as farm subsidies, public agricultural R & D, food assistance programs, taxes on particular foods (such as sodas) or nutrients (such as fat), food labeling laws, and advertising controls. The findings are mostly negative--it is generally not economic to use farm and food policies as obesity policy--but some food policies that combine incentives and information have potential to make a worthwhile impact. This book is accessible to advanced undergraduate and graduate students across the sciences and social sciences, as well as to decision-makers in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Source of description | Online resource; title from PDF title page (EBSCO, viewed August 17, 2017). |
| Issued in other form | Printed edition: 9781137486479 |
| Genre/form | Electronic books. |
| ISBN | 9781137478313 (electronic bk.) |
| ISBN | 1137478314 (electronic bk.) |
| ISBN | 1137486473 |
| ISBN | 9781137486479 |
| Standard identifier# | 10.1057/978-1-137-47831-3 |
| Standard identifier# | 9781137486479 |
| Stock number | 9781137486479 00676990 |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |