Research

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In low-income regions (Sub-Saharan Africa), rising income significantly increases the intake of processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages, whereas in high-income regions, these categories often become inferior goods (intake declines with rising income).

If you are in a developing economy, rising income does not automatically mean you will eat healthier. In fact, as income rises in these regions, people tend to buy more processed meats and sugary drinks. To maintain health, you must consciously prioritize whole foods and limit processed items, as market forces will naturally push you toward them.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
SSA was also the only region for which the sugar-sweetened beverage income elasticity 0.2 (p<0.01) was statistically significant... For both older men and women, sugar-sweetened beverage intake decreased by about 2% in Asia and 3% in HIC given a 10% increase in income, whereas intake by young men and women was not responsive.
Andrew Muhammad et al. · BMJ Global Health · 2017

Why this rating

Large global dataset (164 countries, 1.75M individuals) with robust statistical modeling, though observational in nature.

Source

How income and food prices influence global dietary intakes by age and sex: evidence from 164 countries

Andrew Muhammad et al. · BMJ Global Health · 2017

cross_sectionalCited 97×
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