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Only the fit survive recessions: Estimating labor market penalties for the obese over the business cycle

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  • Rachel Inafuku

Abstract

The obesity epidemic is a growing concern in the United States. Aside from the detrimental health effects of obesity, previous work has also documented a negative relationship between obesity and various labor market outcomes. Given that the American adult obesity rate is roughly 40%, obesity affects a large portion of the US labor market. In this study, I analyze the impact of obesity on income and employment over business cycle fluctuations. I find that during economic downturns, obese workers experience larger declines in income and employment relative to their healthy weight peers. These effects exist for both genders and are concentrated amongst younger adults.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel Inafuku, 2023. "Only the fit survive recessions: Estimating labor market penalties for the obese over the business cycle," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(10), pages 2322-2333, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:32:y:2023:i:10:p:2322-2333
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4731
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