Health, Happiness and Consumption of Sugary Goods

• Název práce v češtině: Zdraví, štěstí a spotřeba cukru
• Název v anglickém jazyce: Health, Happiness and Consumption of Sugary Goods
• Klíčová slova anglicky: sugar demand; happiness; life satisfaction; health; healthy lifestyle; consumer demand
• Akademický rok vypsání: 2018/2019
• Typ práce: bakalářská práce
• Jazyk práce: angličtina
• Ústav: Institut ekonomických studií (23-IES)
• Vedoucí / školitel: Mgr. Milan Ščasný, Ph.D.
• Řešitel: skrytý - zadáno vedoucím/školitelem
• Datum přihlášení: 19.05.2019
• Datum zadání: 19.05.2019
• Datum a čas obhajoby: 09.06.2020 09:00
• Datum odevzdání elektronické podoby: 07.05.2020
• Datum proběhlé obhajoby: 09.06.2020
• Oponenti: Mgr. Matěj Opatrný, Ph.D.

Seznam odborné literatury

BOWMAN, Shanthy a. Diets of Individuals Based on Energy Intakes From Added Sugars. Family Economics [online]. 1999, 12(2), 31-38 [cit. 2019-05-07]. ISSN 10859985.

COLCHERO, M.a., J.c. SALGADO, M. UNAR-MUNGUÍA, M. HERNÁNDEZ-ÁVILA a J.a. RIVERA-DOMMARCO. Price elasticity of the demand for sugar sweetened beverages and soft drinks in Mexico. Economics and Human Biology [online]. 2015, 19, 129-137 [cit. 2019-05-08]. DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2015.08.007. ISSN 1570677X.

EASTERLIN, Richard A,. Explaining happiness. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2003, 100 (19): 11176-11183.

EASTERLIN, Richard A, Income and Happiness: Towards a Unified Theory. The Economic Journal [online]. 2001, 111(473), 465-484 [cit. 2019-05-07]. ISSN 00130133.

EASTERLIN, Richard a. Does money buy happiness?. The public interest [online]. 1973, , 3-10 [cit. 2019-05-09].

MALIK VS, Schulze MB, Hu FB. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;84(2):274–288. doi:10.1093/ajcn/84.1.274

POPKIN, Barry m. Sugary beverages represent a threat to global health. TRENDS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM [online]. 2012, 23(12), 591-593 [cit. 2019-05-09]. DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2012.07.003. ISSN 10432760.

REČKOVÁ, Dominika: The effect of material prosperity on happiness: Evidence from Europe. Master thesis. Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies. May 2017, pages 186. Advisor: Mgr. Barbara Pertold-Gebická, M.A., Ph.D.

ZVĚŘINOVÁ, I., Ščasný, M., Máca, V. (2018), INHERIT: Barriers and Potential for Adopting Healthier, More Equitable and Environmentally Friendly Solutions Identified in a Five-Country Survey. Charles University Environment Centre, Prague, August, 2018.

Předběžná náplň práce v anglickém jazyce

Research question and motivation

The main research question I intend to study is how the consumption of sugar is associated with life satisfaction, in particular with happiness.
There exists a considerable number of research papers analyzing determinants of happiness suggesting that there are various factors that have an influence on happiness. One of the first rigorous studies analysing the determinants of happiness is Easterlin (1973) who aimed at the association between happiness and wealth (income). In his later research, Easterlin (2001) affirms that at a specific point in time lower income individuals are on average less happy than higher income individuals. Rečkova’s master thesis (2018) also follows this stream of research.
In addition, income appears to have an effect on eating habits. Bowman (1999) observes that those with low income have higher tendencies to consume large portions of food with added sugar than those with high income. Nonetheless, Colchero et al. (2015) show that low-income households together with those who come from rural areas and households that live in municipalities with high levels of marginalization, exhibit more elastic demand for soft drinks and sugar sweetened beverages than their counterparts. And eating sugar, sweeteners or sugary beverages is positively associated with adverse health effects Popkin (2012). Moreover, Easterlin (2003) concludes that happiness is on average negatively affected by an unfavourable change in health in the long term.
There exists a large number of studies associating healthy eating habits with happiness. There is however a very limited number of research papers analysing the relation of happiness and the consumption of unhealthy products such as sugar. I plan to cover this research gap in the proposed study by analysing the interlinkages among happiness, health status and consumption of sugars since happiness and consumption of sugar are both related to a healthy state. For instance, Malik et al. (2006) conclude that there is an association between the risk of an adverse gain in weight and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. While consumption of sugar tends to decrease the BMI (and hence overall health state), happiness and health are likely positively correlated. Consumption of sugar may then complement/ substitute satisfaction/ happiness.

Contribution
Although there is a vast number of research papers analyzing happiness and/or life satisfaction, the relation between happiness and sugar consumption has not been studied extensively yet. The positive or negative association between satisfaction/ happiness and consumption of sugars may mask (true) correlation between eating sugars and health state on one side and health state and happiness on the other side. Thus my intention is to analyse this relationship between sugar consumption and happiness that may help to explain consumers' behaviour and lifestyle changes. Moreover, my results could help explaining possible outcomes of an implementation of a sugar tax to make lifestyle more healthy (and hopefully more happy) which is being broadly discussed among policy-makers.

Methodology
I will be able to use individual-level data collected through an original survey conducted within the EU-funded H2020 project INHERIT in 2018 (Zvěřinová et al., 2018) that will be provided by my supervisor. Data for food consumption variables are collected through the Short-Form Food Frequency Questionnaire as proposed by Cleghorn et al. (2016) for indicating respondents' eating patterns. Happiness is measured by a standard 10-point scale. Respondents provided self-reported data about their health status, including illnesses and BMI.
To conduct my research, I will propose a structural model that will enable to show the effects among eating unhealthy goods (sugars), health state (BMI) and life satisfaction/ happiness.
Firstly, I will analyze consumption of confectionery, ice-cream and sugar-sweetened drinks and how it varies across different households by using OLS or count regression models (Poisson, negative binomial, and similar), depending on the data structure. I will pay special attention to controlling for the effect of income and health (measured by BMI) on the consumption of sugar.
The main objective of my study is to analyse the determinants of happiness. Since happiness is measured as a categorical variable, I will use then an Ordered logit model or MNL to analyse the association between income, health, and consumption of unhealthy food on one side, and happiness on the other side.
Since the analysis of the correlation between consumption of unhealthy food and health and the correlation between health and happiness sugars may require more complex modelling, I will discuss usage of these complex models (such as joint estimation or Structural Equation Models) in the literature review.


Outline
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Literature review
measurement of happiness and life satisfaction
determinants of happiness, focusing on health and consumption of unhealthy food (lifestyle)
determinants of sugar consumption
complex modelling of happiness-food consumption-health
3. Methodology
econometric model(s)
data description
4. Results
sugar consumption and its determinants
happiness and its determinants
5. Conclusion