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Economic Policies for Healthier Food Intake: The Impact on Different Household Categories

Nordström, Jonas LU and Thunström, Linda (2011) In European Journal of Health Economics 12(2). p.127-140
Abstract
This paper simulates the impact across household types of fully funded tax reforms designed to increase consumers’ fiber intake from grain consumption. Our results suggest that household types with the highest initial consumption share of fiber-rich products—i.e., households without children (seniors, couples without children, and single women without children)—experience the highest increase in fiber intake from these reforms. However, they also experience high increases in unhealthy nutrients from the reforms, making the net health effects difficult to evaluate. Seniors and couples without children also gain most financially, paying less food taxes and facing, depending on the reform, either a lower price level than before the reform or... (More)
This paper simulates the impact across household types of fully funded tax reforms designed to increase consumers’ fiber intake from grain consumption. Our results suggest that household types with the highest initial consumption share of fiber-rich products—i.e., households without children (seniors, couples without children, and single women without children)—experience the highest increase in fiber intake from these reforms. However, they also experience high increases in unhealthy nutrients from the reforms, making the net health effects difficult to evaluate. Seniors and couples without children also gain most financially, paying less food taxes and facing, depending on the reform, either a lower price level than before the reform or a lower increase in the price level than the average household. These household types also face the lowest initial price level. Households with the lowest initial consumption share of fiber-rich products—families with children—appear to gain the least financially from the reforms: they pay more food taxes and face relatively high increases in price levels. Further, in general they experience an increase in fiber intake smaller than that of the average household. However, they do generally see reductions in the intake of added sugar, and in many cases saturated fat, which positively affects the health of families with children, who often overconsume these nutrients. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
European Journal of Health Economics
volume
12
issue
2
pages
127 - 140
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000287497600004
  • scopus:79958081497
ISSN
1618-7601
DOI
10.1007/s10198-010-0234-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4318a5d8-b26d-46d5-b063-0daf79e59983 (old id 1736792)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:09:38
date last changed
2022-02-17 07:14:53
@article{4318a5d8-b26d-46d5-b063-0daf79e59983,
  abstract     = {{This paper simulates the impact across household types of fully funded tax reforms designed to increase consumers’ fiber intake from grain consumption. Our results suggest that household types with the highest initial consumption share of fiber-rich products—i.e., households without children (seniors, couples without children, and single women without children)—experience the highest increase in fiber intake from these reforms. However, they also experience high increases in unhealthy nutrients from the reforms, making the net health effects difficult to evaluate. Seniors and couples without children also gain most financially, paying less food taxes and facing, depending on the reform, either a lower price level than before the reform or a lower increase in the price level than the average household. These household types also face the lowest initial price level. Households with the lowest initial consumption share of fiber-rich products—families with children—appear to gain the least financially from the reforms: they pay more food taxes and face relatively high increases in price levels. Further, in general they experience an increase in fiber intake smaller than that of the average household. However, they do generally see reductions in the intake of added sugar, and in many cases saturated fat, which positively affects the health of families with children, who often overconsume these nutrients.}},
  author       = {{Nordström, Jonas and Thunström, Linda}},
  issn         = {{1618-7601}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{127--140}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Health Economics}},
  title        = {{Economic Policies for Healthier Food Intake: The Impact on Different Household Categories}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10198-010-0234-6}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10198-010-0234-6}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}