Volume 23, Issue 5 pp. 564-585

Research Article

DO THEY KNOW WHAT IS AT RISK? HEALTH RISK PERCEPTION AMONG THE OBESE

Joachim Winter,

Joachim Winter

Department of Economics, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Center for Economic Studies and Institute for Economic Research (CESifo), Munich, Germany

Munich Center for the Economic of Aging (MEA), Munich, Germany

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Amelie Wuppermann,

Corresponding Author

Amelie Wuppermann

Department of Economics, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Correspondence to: Department of Economics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Ludwigstr. 33, 80539 Munich, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author

Joachim Winter,

Joachim Winter

Department of Economics, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Center for Economic Studies and Institute for Economic Research (CESifo), Munich, Germany

Munich Center for the Economic of Aging (MEA), Munich, Germany

Search for more papers by this author

Amelie Wuppermann,

Corresponding Author

Amelie Wuppermann

Department of Economics, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Correspondence to: Department of Economics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Ludwigstr. 33, 80539 Munich, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author

First published: 10 May 2013

https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.2933

Citations: 23

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ABSTRACT

The perception of health risks and risky health behaviors are closely associated. In this paper, we investigate the accuracy of health risk perceptions among obese individuals, aged 50–62 years. We compare subjective risk perceptions for various diseases elicited in the American Life Panel to individual's objective risks of the same diseases. We find that obese individuals significantly underestimate their 5-year risks of arthritis or rheumatism and hypertension, whereas they systematically overestimate their 5-year risks of a heart attack and a stroke. Obese individuals are thus aware of some but not all obesity-related health risks. For given diseases, we document substantial heterogeneities in the accuracy of expectations across individuals. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Volume23, Issue5

May 2014

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DO THEY KNOW WHAT IS AT RISK? HEALTH RISK PERCEPTION AMONG THE OBESE

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DO THEY KNOW WHAT IS AT RISK? HEALTH RISK PERCEPTION AMONG THE OBESE

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