University at Buffalo School of Management

Insights People get fatter as their country gets richer As a nation's coffers grow, so do the waistlines of its citizens, according to new School of Management research. Published in PLOS ONE, the study found that around the world, obesity rises with national income. A 1% increase in per capita income is associated with a 1.23% and 1.01% increase in obesity among adult males and females, respectively. "As most people currently live in low- and middle-income countries with rising incomes, our findings under- score the urgent need for effective policies to break—or at least weaken— the relationship between income growth and obesity," says Debabrata Talukdar, professor of marketing. Talukdar and his team analyzed 40 years of data across 147 countries to observe the relationship between national income and the prevalence of obesity, and how other factors like governmental policies, globalization, urbanization and female participa- tion in the workforce can moderate this relationship. They also forecast future global trends in obesity prev- alence using national income growth projections. According to the study, more than 2.1 billion people—nearly 30% of the global population—are overweight or obese, with an adverse economic impact of about $2 trillion each year. And they project obesity to increase, growing at an average annual rate of 2.47% across the countries they studied. "Given the highly significant health and economic costs of obesity and the clear importance of economic development, it is vital to gain an in-depth understanding into the asso- ciation between obesity prevalence and national income," says Talukdar. The challenge, they say, is how to promote economic growth with- out adversely impacting the natural environment and personal health and well-being. They recommend policies like national nutrition plans, food taxes and subsidies to incentivize healthy eating, restricting children's expo- sure to unhealthy food marketing, and public awareness programs about diet and exercise. Talukdar collaborated on the study with Satheesh Seenivasan, senior lecturer in the Monash Business School at Monash University; and Associate Professors Adrian Cameron and Gary Sacks from the Deakin University School of Health and Social Development. Talukdar John C.G. Boot, professor emeritus and past chair of the Management Science and Systems Department, passed away May 15 in Buffalo. He was 83. Born to Dutch parents in Semarang, Indonesia, Boot was one of five children, including his identical twin, Boudewijn. His family returned to the Netherlands as World War II was beginning, and Boot grew up in Rotterdam. He earned a doctorate from the Netherlands School of Economics and lived in Amsterdam, and later Palo Alto, Calif., while at Stanford University. An expert in the fields of economic statis- tics and operations research, Boot was the author or co-author of six books, including Quadratic Programming: Algorithm, Anomalies, Applications and his popular economics text- book, Common Globe or Global Commons. He also wrote numerous journal articles. Boot joined the faculty of the School of Management in 1965 and taught (mainly statis- tics) for more than 42 years until his retirement in 2007. He was a tireless advocate for students and known for his quirky sense of humor. Once, when his twin was visiting Buffalo, he pranked his class by walking out one door and having his twin walk in another. He was active in UB's Faculty Senate, serv- ing as chair from 1987-89, and played a key role in developing the university's academic and administrative policies. He also served as United University Professions' chapter president. Boot is survived by his wife of 55 years, Anne Margriet Hinke, their daughter, Maren C. Boot, and son, Mark F.A. Boot. School mourns passing of John Boot 24 Buffalo Business Autumn 2020

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