TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Aoki-Beattie, Yu
AU  - Arulampalam, Wiji
AU  - Lloyd, Neil
        TI  - Proximity to Fast-Food Outlets and Adolescent z-BMI: Accounting for Persistent Health Dynamics
        PY  - 2026/Jul/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 18770
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp18770
        AB  - We estimate the causal effect of exposure to fast-food outlets on adolescent z-BMI using the UK Millennium Cohort Study linked to comprehensive geospatial data. We develop a novel approach to modelling z-BMI persistence by clustering early childhood z-BMI trajectories, allowing us to distinguish baseline obesity susceptibility from contemporaneous environmental effects. Identification exploits the near-universal transition from primary to secondary school, generating plausibly exogenous variation in exposure to fast-food outlets around schools. We find that adolescents with at least one major-brand outlet near school have, on average, a 0.158 standard-deviation higher z-BMI. Effects decline with distance, are limited around the home, and do not extend to other food outlets.
        KW  - adolescent obesity
KW  - body mass index
KW  - fast food
KW  - school food environment
        ER  -