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Price policies and food consumption according to the body mass index (BMI) of head of household

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of a tax and subsidy policy on food consumption according to the BMI of the head of household. A Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System along with the microdata from the 2008-2009 Household Budget Survey were used. The results show that, first, households with different types of heads (non-obese, overweight and obese) have price and income elasticities with similar signs, but different magnitudes. In addition, based on elasticities, scenarios in which more caloric foods are taxed while fruits and vegetables are excluded have produced significant changes in household consumption among the different households.

Keywords:
Quaids; BMI; Brazilian food demand; Obesity

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