RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Impact of Obesity on Wages
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 451
OP 474
DO 10.3368/jhr.XXXIX.2.451
VO XXXIX
IS 2
A1 Cawley, John
YR 2004
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/XXXIX/2/451.abstract
AB Previous studies of the relationship between body weight and wages have found mixed results. This paper uses a larger data set and several regression strategies in an attempt to generate more consistent estimates of the effect of weight on wages. Differences across gender, race, and ethnicity are explored.This paper finds that weight lowers wages for white females; OLS estimates indicate that a difference in weight of two standard deviations (roughly 65 pounds) is associated with a difference in wages of 9 percent. In absolute value, this is equivalent to the wage effect of roughly one and a half years of education or three years of work experience. Negative correlations between weight and wages observed for other gender-ethnic groups appear to be due to unobserved heterogeneity.