Tomas Philipson, Ph.D.

Health Economics

Tomas J. Philipson's recent award-winning study questions the efficacy of public health policies directed at lowering American obesity rates through education by emphasizing the benefits of good health and exercise. Philipson, a health economist, and coauthor Darius Lakdawalla of the RAND Corporation found that obesity rates are not caused by increased consumption, but rather by the increased cost of exercise and the decreased cost of food. In the current information- and service-based economy, food is cheaper to produce and a smaller share of one's income i needed to replace the calories one expends.

In addition, individuals must spend their leisure time for the exercise they once got at work. Work is less strenuous, exercise most costly, food less expensive, and the result is weight gain and ultimately and overweight American society.

Philipson is affiliated with a number of professional associations including the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, and the American Economic Association. He consults with a wide variety of public and private organizations, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), World Bank, Pfizer, and Merck.