Determinants of the Obesity of Adults in Turkey: An Empirical Study

Seda Şengul; Kenan  Lopcu; Salih  Cam

Seda Şengul Department of Econometrics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Çukurova University, Adana, 01330, Turkey
Kenan Lopcu Department of Econometrics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Çukurova University, Adana, 01330, Turkey
Salih Cam Department of Econometrics, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Çukurova University, Adana, 01330, Turkey

Keywords: Body mass index, Health, Heckman Model, Obesity, Physical activity, Sample selection bias, Socio-economic factors, Turkey

Abstract

Obesity is a rapidly increasing health problem in Turkey. In this study, it was aimed to determine how adults who are obese in Turkey are affected by variables such as age, gender, marital status, education, income, as well as health status, physical activity time, adult diabetes, emotion, depressive, exercise, walking, cycling. The used econometric model is a two-stage Heckman model. While the probit model in the first stage of the model is estimated for specifying the variables which affect the probability of adults being obese/overweight, the Tobit model in the second stage is estimated to determine the effects of these variables on the adult body mass index (BMI). Data from Health Surveys of the Turkish Statistical Institute for the year 2016 are used in the study. The results show that the probability of being obese and BMI increase in age at a decreasing rate. On the other hand, the level of education decreases the probability of being obese and body mass index. Males are more likely to be overweight and obese than females, whereas the BMI of overweight-obese females is higher than the BMI of overweight- obese males. In addition, being married being middle or high income, being diabetic, being depressed and feeling worthless increase the probability of being overweight-obese and cause an increase in BMI level, while physical activities such as daily exercises and taking regular walks cause a decrease in the likelihood of being overweight-obese and BMI in Turkey.

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