Investigating the Hypothesis of Transition of Nutrition Style Due to Globalization in Selected Developing Countries

Globesity means the shift in nutrition style resulting from globalization is increasing in developing countries. Although, economic globalization, ie international trade and foreign direct investment can affect nutrition and health through GDP. Changing the consumption style and culture and approaching to the consumption style of business partners through cultural, social and political globalization can increase obesity and overweight in developing countries. In this study, we examine the impact of different dimensions of globalization (economic, political, cultural and social) on obesity and overweight in 30 selected developing countries during the years 1995-2019 using the threshold panel method. The results indicate that all dimensions of globalization (economic, political, cultural and social) have a positive and significant effect on obesity and overweight. Moreover, in examining the intensity of the impact of the dimensions of globalization, cultural and social globalization have more impact on obesity and overweight than economic and political globalization, respectively. In particular, the intensity of the impact in both thresholds in all dimensions of globalization except the economic dimension after the regime change is greater than its before and its impact in economic and political globalization on obesity is more than overweight and in cultural and social globalization on overweigh is more than obesity.