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Pre-conference Workshop: Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Food, and Health

Saturday, July 24, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm

Agenda

Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Food, and Health Agenda (PDF)

Objective

The objective of this pre-conference workshop is to outline behavioral and experimental economic theoretical contributions, empirical tools and results that may help to explain the impact of economic behavior on health outcomes. The primary purpose is to contribute to the attendees’ understanding of the theory, research methods, and tools for using behavioral economics to analyze food choice and health outcomes. The conference program will include two keynotes speakers and a carefully selected slate of invited speakers representing the cutting edge of our Association’s research in these areas.

By allowing richer models of objectives and behavior, behavioral economics potentially complements the traditional economic paradigm to gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental causes behind the rise in obesity and dietary-related diseases. In particular, behavioral economics provides a framework for understanding individual behaviors that may appear suboptimal from a public health point of view.

An overarching theme of the pre-conference is a focus on important behavioral considerations beyond institutional constructs. A better understanding of the economic behaviors underlying the obesity epidemic and other dietary-related public health concerns is necessary to formulate effective policy interventions, and improve public health. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of necessary theory and methods to utilize these concepts in their own work.

Relevance

The focus on behavioral economics is timely, as this approach has grown increasingly popular in our profession and beyond. As the profession celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), this pre-conference addresses a research direction of increasing importance and policy relevance.

Participants

We are pleased to invite all AAEA members interested in an introduction to, or expanding their understanding of, behavioral economics methods and tools applied to food and health concerns. In addition, the workshop will provide graduate students access to methodological insights and training in an area of high policy relevance.

Program Organizers and Committee

Organizers

Sean B. Cash
FSN Member-at-large
University of Wisconsin - Madison

Christiane Schroeter
FAMPS Chair
California Polytechnic State University

Committee

Sean B. Cash, University of Wisconsin - Madison and Christiane Schroeter, California Polytechnic State University (Co-organizers)

Joseph Balagtas
Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University

Lisa Mancino
Agricultural Economist, USDA-ERS

Mary Muth
Director, Food and Agricultural Research, RTI International

Wen You
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech

Registration

You can register for this workshop when you register for the Joint Annual Meeting. For more information on how to register, please visit the Registration page.

Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Barry Popkin
Professor of Public Health at the University of North Carolina and author of the book The World is Fat.

Dr. Barry M. Popkin has a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Cornell University and is the Carla Smith Chamblee Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. He directs the UNC-CH’s Interdisciplinary Center for Obesity and works intensively in both the biomedical and social science worlds. He has developed longitudinal multilevel studies in many countries to study dietary change. More recently he developed the concept of the nutrition transition and used his series of cohort studies that focused on the factors underlying both dietary and physical activity/inactivity patterns and their effects on health in the United States and globally. Popkin authored the book The World is Fat (2008).

Brian Wansink
Professor of Consumer Behavior at Cornell University and author of Mindless Eating.

Brian Wansink is the John Dyson Professor of Consumer Behavior at Cornell University, where he directs the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. He is author of over 100 academic articles and books, including the best-selling Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (2006) along with Marketing Nutrition (2005), Asking Questions (2004), and Consumer Panels (2002).

From 2007–2009 Wansink was granted a leave-of-absence from Cornell to accept a Presidential appointment as Executive Director of USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the Federal agency in charge of developing 2010 Dietary Guidelines and promoting the Food Guide Pyramid (MyPyramid.gov).

Wansink’s award-winning academic research on food psychology and behavior change has been published in the world’s top marketing, medical, and nutrition journals. It contributed to the introduction of smaller "100 calorie" packages (to prevent overeating), the use of taller glasses in some bars (to prevent the overpouring of alcohol), and the use of elaborate names and mouth-watering descriptions on some chain restaurant menus (to improve enjoyment of the food). It has been presented, translated, reported, and featured in television documentaries on every continent but Antarctica.

Invited Speakers and Topics

Jayson Lusk, Oklahoma State University
"Field Experiments"

Jay Shogren, University of Wyoming
"Experimental Valuation Methods, including Experimental Auctions"

David Just, Cornell University
"Applying Behavioral Economics to Food Policy"

Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, University of Chicago
"Behavioral Analysis of Survey Data"

Workshop Details

Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Food and Health
Saturday, July 24, 2010, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Denver, Colorado, Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel

For more information regarding housing in Denver, as well as transportation, please visit the Housing page.