Disparities in U.S. Urban-Rural Obesity: Evidence and Policy Implications

Disparities in the US Urban-Rural Obesity: Evidence and Policy Implications

Faculty Lead: Vardges Hovhannisyan

The proposed research seeks to evaluate the importance of obesity determinants while recognizing the urban and rural fundamental distinctions. The specific objectives are to provide a comprehensive and multifaceted analysis of the disparity in urban-rural obesity in the United States and to derive and estimate consumption pre-commitments for a wide range of food products, which can shed light on addiction, especially for highly addictive food.

This project will develop and estimate consumer affinity for food quality in urban and rural areas and evaluate heterogeneous effects of food quality, pre-committed demand, lifestyle, food and health access, and other factors across the different quantiles of obesity distribution for urban and rural populations.

Work on this project will delve into performing counterfactual policy analyses to examine the effectiveness of various policies (e.g., tax on sugary foods and beverages) in curbing consumer energy intake and its impact on individual body weight and formulating policy recommendations regarding specific public policies that will boost individual health benefits.

Addressing these objectives can enhance our understanding of energy intake and obesity in urban and rural America. It can also furnish valuable information to form the basis of public policy.