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Abstract
This article provides insight on the relationship between individual obesity and happiness levels. Using the latest available panel data from Germany German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), UK British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), and Australia Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA), we examine whether there is statistical evidence on the impact of overweight on subjective well-being. Instrumental Variable (IV) analysis is utilized under the presence of endogeneity, stemming from several explanatory variables. Results indicate that in all three countries obesity has a negative effect on the subjective well-being of individuals. The results also have important implications for the effect of other socio-demographic, economic and individual characteristics on well-being.
Acknowledgements
A special thanks goes out to Dennis Heffley, Christian Zimmermann, Philip Shaw and Osiris Parcero as well as the anonymous referee for their valuable comments.
Notes
1 For BHPS, the employment status contains information on whether individuals are employed or unemployed. For GSOEP and HILDA data, the information is on whether individuals are employed or not employed. This requires attention in the interpretation of the results, as for Germany and Australia the results do not refer to the impact of unemployment on life satisfaction.
