Original Article

International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 1670–1677; doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.151; published online 26 August 2008

The mitigating influence of time preference on the relation between smoking and BMI scores

C A Robb1, S J Huston2 and M S Finke2

  1. 1Department of Consumer Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
  2. 2Department of Applied and Professional Studies, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA

Correspondence: Dr CA Robb, Department of Consumer Sciences, University of Alabama, 304 Adams Hall, Box 870158, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0158, USA. E-mail: crobb@ches.ua.edu

Received 23 April 2008; Revised 14 July 2008; Accepted 25 July 2008; Published online 26 August 2008.

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Abstract

Objective:

 

Prior studies have found a strong negative relation between smoking and body mass index (BMI). Smoking and unhealthy eating both imply a preference for utility in the present at the expense of future consumption. This analysis seeks to proxy this preference through a composite index of equally weighted intertemporal behaviors to isolate the impact of smoking upon BMI independent of time discounting.

Design:

 

Ordinary least squares regression is used to analyze BMI score based on a number of key independent variables

Subjects:

 

A total of 2970 individuals who provided data for the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) 1994–1996, as well as the Diet and Health Knowledge Survey (DHKS).

Results:

 

Adding time preference to a multivariate model inflates the magnitude of the smoking effect, consistent with discounted utility theory.

Conclusions:

 

Results suggest that full effect of the non-intertemporal aspects of smoking (e.g., the substitution of cigarettes for food) on BMI scores may be underestimated in previous studies that fail to account for the mitigating influence of time preference.

Keywords:

BMI, smoking, time preference

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