The wage effects of obesity: a longitudinal study.
We use National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) data to examine the effects of obesity on wages by gender. Sample means indicate that both men and women experience a persistent obesity wage penalty over the first two decades of their careers. We then control for a standard set of socioeconomic and familial variables but find that standard covariates do not explain why obese workers experience persistent wage penalties. This suggests that other variables -- including job discrimination, health-related factors and/or obese workers' behavior patterns -- may be the channels through which obesity adversely affects wages. The study closes with a discussion of the public policy implications suggested by these findings.
Baum
Charles L
CL
Economics and Finance Department, Middle Tennessee State University, USA. cbaum@mtsu.edu
Ford
William F
WF
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015982:Bias; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015984:Causality; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017059:Models, Econometric; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011287:Prejudice; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000191:economics*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology