nep-ara New Economics Papers
on MENA - Middle East and North Africa
Issue of 2016‒08‒14
two papers chosen by
Paul Makdissi
Université d’Ottawa

  1. The impact of optimized diet patterns at a macro-level: the case of Tunisia By Drogué, S.; Vignes, R.; Amiot, M.
  2. Socio-Economic Status and Life Expectancy in Lebanon: An Empirical Analysis By Audi, Marc; Ali, Amjad

  1. By: Drogué, S.; Vignes, R.; Amiot, M.
    Abstract: In the last 40 years Tunisia has experienced – as many other developing and emerging countries – a dietary transition, which led to an increase in the consumption of sugar, fats and animal products. This transition was accompanied by an increase in non-communicable diseases and particularly in cardio-vascular diseases. Using the framework developed by Srinivasan (2007) we optimized the Tunisian food intake using the French dietary recommendations (ANC) as constraints. We reproduced and enriched the work by including micronutrients in the analysis. Moreover we added a constraint on olive oil (a traditional culinary product in Tunisia), which consumption has also declined steadily over the period. Using this static model, we showed that the main needs in macro- and micronutrients are already covered by the food supply in Tunisia. However, the energy intake equivalent to 3329 Kcal per capita and per day, represented an average excess of 1000 Kcal for an adult. The adherence to all the dietary nutritional recommendations would induce an imperative shift to a less consumption of sugar and cereal-based products. Moreover, optimizing sustainable diets induced the reduction of the imports of cereals, sugar, and plant oils other than olive oil that is recognized to protect against cardiovascular diseases.
    Keywords: dietary adjustment, food, olive oil, mathematical programming, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, C61, I18,
    Date: 2016–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aiea16:242304&r=ara
  2. By: Audi, Marc; Ali, Amjad
    Abstract: This study has investigated the impact of socio-economic status on life expectancy in the case of Lebanon over the period of 1971 to 2014. Availability of food, CO2 emissions, secondary school enrollment, per capita income and population growth are used for reviewing socio-economic status of Lebanon. Johansen test is used for examining co-integration among variables. The results of Johansen co-integration show that there is co-integration among the variables of the model. The long run results of the model show that all selected independent variables of the model have significant impact on life expectancy in case of Lebanon. The causality test results reveal that all the independent variables have causal relationship with life expectancy at birth in the Lebanese case over the selected time period. The estimated results suggest that if government of Lebanon wants to increase life expectancy at birth it has to improve its socio-economic status of its masses.
    Keywords: Life Expectancy, Population growth, CO2 emission, Lebanon
    JEL: L66 N3 Q53
    Date: 2016
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:72900&r=ara

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