What Causes Obesity?And Why Has It Grown So Much?An Alternative View

In recent years, economists have attempted to explain the rising levels of obesitynot only in the U.S. during the last three decades but in many developed countries. Forthe most part, these economists’ models have utilized neoclassical economic tools andrelied on the conventional wisdom of health science practitioners. The results of thistheorizing have been disappointing at best. The purpose of this paper is to develop analternative socio-economic model of obesity based more on behavioral economicsconcepts and on the best thinking that health science has to offer. Instead of rationaleconomic decision makers, this paper assumes decision makers are boundedly rational.Instead of weight gain and obesity being strictly determined by the amount of caloriesconsumed minus the calories expended, weight gain is determined much more by whatpeople eat. Also, the weight-obesity outcome is determined by how different peoplerespond to the growing infrastructure of obesity (notably the suppliers of fast food andprocessed foods). In general, obesity in the present model is the result of individualdecisions to choose poor diets and poor life behavior patterns (including exercise).Unlike in the rational obesity model, these are not decisions of rational economic men orwomen. The rising obesity levels are the result of poor decisions by many boundedlyrational individuals who have encountered very significant changes in food supplyingindustries and society overall.