Does a sprawling neighborhood affect obesity? Evidence from Indonesia

While the causes of obesity have been widely discussed from various perspectives, studies that examine how the physical form of a neighborhood could causally affect obesity remain limited. This study combined individual-level longitudinal data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey and subdistrict-level land cover data to investigate whether a neighborhood’s physical form affects individuals’ obesity status. We controlled for individual and location fixed-effect to account for individuals’ sorting preferences and unobserved heterogeneity at the subdistrict level. Our results suggest that a sprawling neighborhood corresponds to a lower body mass index, particularly among males. We also show that consumption behavior can explain this mechanism.