Macronutrients and Obesity: Revisiting the Calories in, Calories out Framework July 19, 2013 Daniel Riera-Crichtona and Nathan Tefftb

Abstract: Recent clinical research has studied weight responses to varying diet composition, but the contribution of changes in macronutrient intake and physical activity to rising population weight remains unknown. Research on the economics of obesity typically assumes a “calories in, calories out” framework, but a richer weight production model separating caloric intake into carbohydrates, fat, and protein, has not been explored. To estimate the contributions of changes in macronutrient intake and physical activity to changes in population weight, we conducted dynamic time series and structural VAR analyses of U.S. data between 1974 and 2006 and a panel analysis of 164 countries between 2001 and 2010. Findings from all analyses suggest that increases in carbohydrates are most strongly and positively associated with increases in obesity prevalence even when controlling for changes in total caloric intake and occupation-related physical activity. If anything, increases in fat intake are associated with decreases in population weight.

JEL classification codes: I12, I15, O13, Q18 Keywords: Obesity, Macronutrients, Health Production

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Department of Economics, Bates College, Lewiston, ME 04240, USA Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, and Department of Economics, College of Arts and Sciences (beginning September 1, 2013), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA

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Acknowledgments: The authors thank seminar participants in the University of Washington Department of Economics for helpful comments. Author order is alphabetic and lead authorship is shared equally. There are no conflicts of interest.

1. Introduction & Background Research on the economics of obesity typically begins by adopting