Since the 1980s, the obesity rate in the United States has increased from nearly 15 percent to almost 36 percent. This has generated important economic consequences for society, ranging from greater public health spending to increased health premiums for all citizens.
In a talk titled “The Evolution of Nutritional Quality: The Case of the Ready-to-Eat Cereal Industry,” Assistant Professor Emily Wang (resource economics) documents the evolution of the nutritional quality of available food products and the alarming rise in obesity in the U.S. during the last quarter century.
Wang’s research concentrates on empirical industrial organization, with a particular interest in developing and estimating structural dynamic demand models and applying them to public policy analyses.
This event is coordinated by the Food Access Research and Engagement (FARE) Partnership at UMass Amherst and co-sponsored by the Center for Public Policy and Administration, the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and the departments of Food Science, Nutrition and Resource Economics. The FARE Partnership convenes scholars, community partners, policymakers and students to create multidisciplinary initiatives that promote healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems, from production to consumption.