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Time Preference, Savings and Obesity: Cross-Sectional Evidence from the Netherlands

Michel, Corinna LU (2013) NEKN01 20131
Department of Economics
Abstract
Humans often seem to behave in ways that stand in contrast to their long-term preferences. Even though people want to save more and eat healthier, there is evidence suggesting as if the opposite happens. Savings rates have dropped significantly in the past decades. The prevalence of obesity, as well as the average body-mass-index, have risen considerably over the past decades. Time preference has often been named to be a possible reason for this development. This thesis aims to provide empirical evidence for this. In an empirical analysis using Dutch survey data evidence is found that time preference is indeed a correlate for obesity. Savings are only correlated with time preference proxies that relate to the domain of financial decisions.... (More)
Humans often seem to behave in ways that stand in contrast to their long-term preferences. Even though people want to save more and eat healthier, there is evidence suggesting as if the opposite happens. Savings rates have dropped significantly in the past decades. The prevalence of obesity, as well as the average body-mass-index, have risen considerably over the past decades. Time preference has often been named to be a possible reason for this development. This thesis aims to provide empirical evidence for this. In an empirical analysis using Dutch survey data evidence is found that time preference is indeed a correlate for obesity. Savings are only correlated with time preference proxies that relate to the domain of financial decisions. Furthermore, a discussion presents domain specific time preference. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Michel, Corinna LU
supervisor
organization
course
NEKN01 20131
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
time preference, obesity, savings, time discounting, domain specific
language
English
id
4022257
date added to LUP
2013-09-17 15:05:27
date last changed
2013-09-17 15:05:27
@misc{4022257,
  abstract     = {{Humans often seem to behave in ways that stand in contrast to their long-term preferences. Even though people want to save more and eat healthier, there is evidence suggesting as if the opposite happens. Savings rates have dropped significantly in the past decades. The prevalence of obesity, as well as the average body-mass-index, have risen considerably over the past decades. Time preference has often been named to be a possible reason for this development. This thesis aims to provide empirical evidence for this. In an empirical analysis using Dutch survey data evidence is found that time preference is indeed a correlate for obesity. Savings are only correlated with time preference proxies that relate to the domain of financial decisions. Furthermore, a discussion presents domain specific time preference.}},
  author       = {{Michel, Corinna}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Time Preference, Savings and Obesity: Cross-Sectional Evidence from the Netherlands}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}