The Caloric Costs of Culture: Evidence from Indian Migrants
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aer%2E20140297.pdf
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630.98 KB
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Author(s)
Atkin, David
Date Issued
April 2016
Journal
American Economic Review
Publisher
American Economic Association
Citation
Atkin, David. “ The Caloric Costs of Culture: Evidence from Indian Migrants.” American Economic Review 106, no. 4 (April 2016): 1144–1181. © 2016 American Economic Association
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Anthropologists have documented substantial and persistent differences in food preferences across social groups. My paper asks whether such food cultures can constrain caloric intake? I first document that interstate migrants within India consume fewer calories per rupee of food expenditure compared to their neighbors. Second, I show that migrants bring their origin-state food preferences with them. Third, I link these findings by showing that the gap in caloric intake between locals and migrants depends on the suitability and intensity of the migrants' origin-state preferences. The most affected migrants would consume seven percent more calories if they possessed their neighbors' preferences.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20140297
