Is there a link between scarcity of food in early life and later overconsumption? In this video, EFFROSYNI ADAMOPOULOU focuses on the behaviors of individuals who experienced meat scarcity as children in Italy during World War II. Drawing on data revealing the availability of meat during the war and employing a difference-in-difference framework, Adamopoulou arrives at a number of striking findings. Not only does the temporary scarcity of meat in early life increase the probability of later overconsumption, but this behavioral effect also persists to the next generation. Highlighting the role that gender plays in this dynamic, Adamopoulou’s research demonstrates that policymakers need to give greater consideration to behavioral mechanisms and their long term effects.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB10912

Researcher

Effrosyni (Efi) Adamopoulou is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Economics at the University of Mannheim. On leave from her position as an economist at the Bank of Italy, Adamopoulou completed her PhD at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Adamopoulou’s main research interests include labor economics, family economics, applied econometrics and macroeconomics. Recipient of the 2012 Young Labor Economist Prize from the European Association of Labor Economists, Adamopoulou was awarded a Seal of Excellence from the European Commission in 2020.

Institution

University of Mannheim (Universität Mannheim)

For generations, the University of Mannheim has been preparing students to take on leadership roles in business, academia, and society. One of the university’s strengths in this task is its profile, which is characterized by the economic and social sciences. It is in these fields that the University of Mannheim has repeatedly been ranked as one of the top 20 European research institutions. Key focuses of Mannheim researchers include decision-making processes and elections, governance, regulation, competition and innovation, migration and multilingualism, and the culture of change. The campus surrounding Mannheim’s baroque palace is a place where bright minds from across the globe come together to learn, discuss, research, and prepare to make their mark on the world.
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Original publication

Eating Habits: The Role of Early Life Experiences and Intergenerational Transmission

Adamopoulou Effrosyni, Olivieri Elisabetta and Triviza Eleftheria
Published in 2021

Beyond