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The wage effects of obesity: a longitudinal study

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Author Info
Charles L. Baum (Economics and Finance Department, Middle Tennessee State University, USA)
William F. Ford (Economics and Finance Department, Middle Tennessee State University, USA)

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Abstract

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. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/hec.881
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Publisher Info
Article provided by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. in its journal Health Economics.

Volume (Year): 13 (2004)
Issue (Month): 9 ()
Pages: 885-899
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:13:y:2004:i:9:p:885-899

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Web page: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/5749

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Berger, Mark C & Leigh, J Paul, 1988. "The Effect of Alcohol Use on Wages," Applied Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 20(10), pages 1343-51, October.
  2. Tomas Philipson, 2001. "The world-wide growth in obesity: an economic research agenda," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 10(1), pages 1-7.
  3. Blau, Francine D & Ferber, Marianne A, 1987. "Discrimination: Empirical Evidence from the United States," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 77(2), pages 316-20, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Charles A. Register & Donald R. Williams, 1992. "Labor market effects of marijuana and cocaine use among young men," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 45(3), pages 435-451, April.
  5. Kaestner, Robert, 1991. "The Effect of Illicit Drug Use on the Wages of Young Adults," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(4), pages 381-412, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Becker, Gary S & Murphy, Kevin M, 1988. "A Theory of Rational Addiction," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(4), pages 675-700, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Roy Wada & Erdal Tekin, 2007. "Body Composition and Wages," NBER Working Papers 13595, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Johansson, Edvard & Böckerman, Petri & Kiiskinen, Urpo & Heliövaara, Markku, 2007. "The Effect of Obesity on Wages and Employment: The Difference Between Having a High BMI and Being Fat," Working Papers 528, Hanken School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  3. Pushkar Maitra & Anurag Sharma, 2007. "Does exercise reduce obesity? Evidence from Australia," Centre for Health Economics Research Papers 20/07, Monash University, Centre for Health Economics. [Downloadable!]
  4. Brendan Kline & Justin L. Tobias, 2008. "The wages of BMI: Bayesian analysis of a skewed treatment-response model with nonparametric endogeneity," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(6), pages 767-793. [Downloadable!]
  5. David Cantarero & Marta Pascual, 2007. "Obesity and socio-economic inequalities in spain: evidence from the ECHP," Economics Bulletin, Economics Bulletin, vol. 9(3), pages 1-9. [Downloadable!]
  6. Edward C. Norton & Euna Han, 2008. "Genetic information, obesity, and labor market outcomes," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(9), pages 1089-1104. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Naci H. Mocan & Erdal Tekin, 2009. "Obesity, Self-esteem and Wages," NBER Working Papers 15101, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Charles L. Baum II & Christopher J. Ruhm, 2007. "Age, Socioeconomic Status and Obesity Growth," NBER Working Papers 13289, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Vincenzo Atella & Noemi Pace & Daniela Vuri, 2008. "Are employers discriminating with respect to weight? European Evidence using Quantile Regression," CEIS Research Paper 123, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 14 Jul 2008. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Bruce Hollingsworth & Katharina Hauck, 2005. "Translational research in the area of inequalities in health related to obesity in Australia," Centre for Health Economics Research Papers 11/05, Monash University, Centre for Health Economics. [Downloadable!]
  11. Giorgio Brunello & Beatrice d'Hombres, 2006. "Does Body Weight affect Wages? Evidence from Europe," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0027, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno". [Downloadable!]
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  12. David Lempert, 2007. "Women's Increasing Wage Penalties from Being Overweight and Obese," Working Papers 414, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. [Downloadable!]
  13. Euna Han & Edward C. Norton & Sally C. Stearns, 2009. "Weight and wages: fat versus lean paychecks," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(5), pages 535-548. [Downloadable!]
  14. Jaume Garcia Villar & Climent Quintana, 2005. "Body Size, Activity, Employment and Wages in Europe: A First Approach," Economics Working Papers 897, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised May 2006. [Downloadable!]
  15. Tomas Philipson & Richard Posner, 2008. "Is the Obesity Epidemic a Public Health Problem? A Decade of Research on the Economics of Obesity," NBER Working Papers 14010, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Lindeboom, Maarten & Lundborg, Petter & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2009. "Obesity and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from the British NCDS," IZA Discussion Papers 4099, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  17. Jaume Garcia & Climent Quintana-Domeque, 2005. "Obesity, Wages and Employment in Europe," Labor and Demography 0508002, EconWPA, revised 03 Apr 2006. [Downloadable!]
  18. Charles L. Baum, 2009. "The effects of cigarette costs on BMI and obesity," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(1), pages 3-19. [Downloadable!]
  19. Euna Han & Edward C. Norton & Lisa M. Powell, 2009. "Direct and Indirect Effects of Teenage Body Weight on Adult Wages," NBER Working Papers 15027, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Christian A. Gregory & Christopher J. Ruhm, 2009. "Where Does the Wage Penalty Bite?," NBER Working Papers 14984, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Daniel Millimet & Rusty Tchernis & Muna Hussain, 2007. "School Nutrition Programs and the Incidence of Childhood Obesity," Caepr Working Papers 2007-014, Center for Applied Economics and Policy Research, Economics Department, Indiana University Bloomington. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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This page was last updated on 2009-11-16.

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