Obesity Kuznets curve and the reality of eco-income ellipsoids (EIE)

Abstract

Health is regarded as a universal asset and how this translates into sustainable development has remained a subject of discourse in the growth and health literature. This disposition is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals-3, 8, and 13, which highlight the need for good health, sustainable economic growth, and environmental sustainability, respectively, especially for the United States. To this end, this study explores the nexus of turning point such that a subsequent growth in income level decreases the prevalence of obesity. Similarly, the study examined the existence of the minimum turning point after which the increase in the ecological footprint (EFP) escalates the prevalence of obesity. A recent timeseries data of annual frequency from 1975 to 2016 are used for econometrics analysis to examine the reality of ellipsoidal hypothesis. The autoregressive distributed lag techniques are adopted for this study. Thus, an empirical investigation revealed that higher income per capita level leads to obesity until a certain threshold. Thus, the inverted U-shaped relationship between income and obesity is validated, while the nexus between EFP and obesity resonates with the U-shaped. The validity of these two forms of (obesity-income-EFP) relationship is captured as the ellipsoidal hypothesis. Additionally, an increase in life expectancy decreases obesity prevalence in the United States. Based on these outcomes, policy mechanisms should be geared toward adopting more sustainable productivity approaches and more push for higher income status for the citizenry.