Behavioural explanations for gender gaps in obesity and overweight in Egypt

Prior research has documented large disparities in obesity and Body Mass Index (BMI) among women and men in the Middle East. While such gaps are often associated with differences in labour market participation, we still know little about the effect of specific behavioural mechanisms at play. This paper presents novel evidence from a representative survey of 2000 individuals in Egypt, examining weight alongside demographic and behavioural attitudes. In addressing this gap, this project presents novel evidence from a representative survey of 2000 individuals in Egypt, examining whether body attitudes and perceptions (which we summarise as ‘adiposity aversion (AA))’ play a role, alongside more common explanations such as differences in dietary preferences, physical activity, and socio-economic status (SES). In addition to examining gaps in BMI across gender and its determinants, we draw on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) methodology to summarise different social and behavioural constructs, and we then use regression analysis to identify its influence on BMI and obesity rates. As expected, our results document a clear gender gap in BMI, which is driven primarily by a larger share of women being obese, which is more prevalent among married women with low SES. Against the backdrop of differential attitudes explaining gender gaps in BMI, our regression estimates suggest that obesity and BMI are mainly driven by differences in physical activity, and SES.