Oportunidades to reduce overweight and obesity in Mexico?

This paper investigates the causal effect of Oportunidades, a conditional cash-transfer program in Mexico, on overweight and obesity of adolescents living in poor rural areas. Affecting youth weight was not a goal of this program. However, health economics research suggests that the provision of schooling, health information sessions and sizable cash transfers to Oportunidades participants could have substantially changed their overweight and obesity rates.