Rising worldwide obesity rates have generated massive amounts of policy concern and public interest. In this book, we use two household surveys (British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and Household and Income Dynamics of Australia (HILDA)) to empirically analyse: 1) the relationship between obesity and economic incentives that influence individual and household behaviour; 2) the role of the environment and economic incentives on discretionary activities which directly impact the likelihood of being obese, such as physical activity; and 3) the impact of obesity on labour market outcomes.

Heather obtained her PhD from the University of Sheffield in August 2009. Heather received her Masters degree in Economics and Development Economics from the University of Nottingham and her BA in Economics and Politics from McGill University. Her interests are applied health economics, labour economics, and the economics of the family.