TY  - JOUR
AU  - Millimet,Daniel L.
AU  - Tchernis,Rusty
AU  - Husain,Muna
TI  - School Nutrition Programs and the Incidence of Childhood Obesity
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 14297
PY  - 2008
Y2  - September 2008
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w14297
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w14297.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Daniel Millimet
Southern Methodist University
Department of Economics
Box 0496
Dallas, TX 75275-0496
Tel: 214-768-3269
Fax: 214-768-1821
E-Mail: millimet@mail.smu.edu

Rusty Tchernis
Department of Economics
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3992
Atlanta, GA 30302-3992
Tel: 404/413/0154
Fax: 404/413-0145
E-Mail: rtchernis@gsu.edu

Muna Husain
SMU, Department of Economics
Box 0496
Dallas, TX 75275-0496
E-Mail: mhusain@mail.smu.edu
AB  - In light of the recent rise in childhood obesity, the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) have received renewed attention. Using panel data on over 13,500 primary school students, we assess the relationship between SBP and NSLP participation and (relatively) long-run measures of child weight. After documenting a positive association between SBP participation and child weight, and no association between NSLP participation and child weight, we present evidence indicating positive selection into the SBP. Allowing for even modest positive selection is sufficient to alter the results, indicating that the SBP is a valuable tool in the current battle against childhood obesity, whereas the NSLP exacerbates the current epidemic.
ER  -