Effect of Schooling on Obesity: Is Health Knowledge a Moderating Factor?

The effect of schooling and health knowledge on the odds that an individual is obese is estimated for men and women. Particular attention is given to whether schooling's effect is due to individual health knowledge differences. Empirical results showed that schooling's effect on obesity are not due to individual health knowledge differences in both men and women. Schooling has a negative effect on the odds that a man or woman is obese, while health knowledge has a negative effect on the odds that a woman is obese. The simulations conducted suggest that schooling has a relatively substantial positive effect on the reduction of the odds of being obese.