This paper proposes a theory for the social evolution of obesity. It considers a society in which individuals experience utility from consumption of food and non-food, the state of their health, and the evaluation of their appearance by others. The theory explains under which conditions poor...

An age-structured model for childhood obesity at population level is fitted to empirical data in order to predict the proportion of overweighted and obese children in the 6-8 and 9-12 year old classes in the region of Valencia, Spain.

Social scientists have recognized the importance of age-period-cohort (APC) models for half a century, but have spent much of this time mired in debates about the feasibility of APC methods. Recently, a new class of APC methods based on modern statistical knowledge has emerged, offering...