The unintended effect of piped water at home on childhood overweight rate: experimental evidence from urban Morocco

Obesity is a global epidemic costing billions of dollars and millions of deaths. Roughly 79% of overweight children under five live in middle-income countries, where only about half of the households have access to piped water at home. This study exploits a social experiment that encourages connection to piped water in the city of Tangiers and finds an unintended effect: a large reduction in children's overweight rate. It also finds evidence of several potential channels: a reduction in the cost of water, an increase in available time, in particular to perform household chores, and a reduction in stress levels.

Automated summary

This study highlights the positive impact of household access to piped water on reducing childhood overweight rates, potentially due to reduced water cost, increased available time, and decreased stress levels.