The price of economic growth : A study on economic growth and obesity 1975-2013

The world of 1975 was different the one of 2013 because of profound and big political, economic and technological changes. The food availability increased due to changes in production and distribution which made them more accessible and, because of that, the consumption of food in Kcal per capita increased in all countries.Urbanization and technological changes also contributed to the development of a sedentary lifestyle and to the development of a food industry ready to satisfy the necessities of a constantly growing urban population thru palatable and ready to eat products.This thesis analyses the relationship between economic growth and the increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity during the period of 1975-2013 at a global level and studies the driving economic factors behind that development