You Better Shape Up! Does Weight Affect Your Earnings?

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You probably know the media’s standard of attractiveness is thinner for women than for men. It's also thinner than most of the female population, and can border on anorexic. In our society, weight matters. But did you know that employers have internalized this idea as well? A few extra pounds could lead to a lighter paycheck.

People see obese individuals as less desirable subordinates, coworkers and bosses. According to some studies, 60 percent of overweight women and 40 percent of overweight men report that they have been victims of discrimination in the workplace.

A new study by Timothy Judge and Daniel Cable suggests there is a relationship between gender, obesity, and earnings. They measured the weight of more than 12,000 Americans at 15 points over a 25 year period. They also collected  demographic, behavioral, and job information:

• gender, height, age, and race;
• educational attainment;
• childhood socioeconomic status;
• smoking and drinking behavior;
• marital status, spouse’s earnings, the presence of children and maternity leave;
• hours worked, job tenure, public or private sector job, and job complexity;
• perceived health problems and self-esteem.

Judge and Cable found an interesting pattern when they studied this data: after controlling for demographic and job characteristics, there is a statistically significant relationship between weight and earnings.  This relationship shows a gender double-standard. Heavier men tend to earn more than lighter men, but heavier women tend to earn less than lighter women.

The relationship between earnings and weight changes is even more surprising. Weight gain in men leads to increases in pay. Men are rewarded for gaining weight up to the point of obesity. In contrast, weight gain in women leads to decreases in pay. Women are penalized for gaining weight. The “pay penalty” is harshest for very thin women.

Simply put, as men gain weight their earnings tend to increase, and when they lose weight, their earnings tend to decrease. The opposite is true for women. Women's earnings decrease when they gain weight, and when they lose weight, their earnings tend to increase. But the magnitude of earnings changes for men and women are quite different, as shown in the chart below.

                                        
This relationship could be indicative of weight discrimination in employment decisions, which is showing itself in earnings differences.

Is there a need for new legislation addressing weight discrimination? Rebecca Puhl and Chelsea Heuer surveyed 1,000 Americans on this question. According to their survey, 65 percent of men and 81 percent of women support laws banning weight discrimination in the workplace. Refusal to hire, denying promotions, and terminating employees based on weight received the most support.

It remains to be seen whether any new legislation designed to combat wage discrimination will be proposed. The research on weight discrimination poses some tough questions, and you can be sure that this issue will continue to be an increasingly hot topic of conversation in the future. 

Contributor:   Stephanie R. Thomas, Ph.D

Dr. Thomas is a noted authority on compensation gender equity and is a leading expert on the analysis of equal employment opportunity issues. Her research and opinions are widely published and have appeared in Bloomberg Law Report, Corporate Counselor, Journal of Compensation and Benefits, and leading professional journals. Dr. Thomas is quoted in a variety of media outlets, and was a featured guest on a National Public Radio broadcast discussing the gender pay gap and the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Since 1999, Dr. Thomas has served as an economic and statistical consultant to Fortune 500 companies, privately held businesses, major law firms and government agencies such as the Department of Justice and the FBI. She has provided expert economic and statistical testimony in federal and state courts throughout the United States.

Dr. Thomas is actively involved in sharing her knowledge, and has been invited to address various chapters of the Industry Liaison Group, Society for Human Resources Management, and bar associations across the country.

Prior to her consulting career, Dr. Thomas served on the faculty of New York University, where she taught courses on economic theory and econometrics. 

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Report Abuse   pbensontexan@yahoo.com 07/26/2011 12:15:58 PM EDT As an Analytic personality, and something of a "research nerd" I would love to see a copy of the original research article. Although my anecdotal experience and observations over 30 years of management allows to me agree with "first impressions" theories on assigment of "initial compensation as it relates to hiring weight / perceived value by employers", I am especially surprised at the conclusion of salary tracking on a given individual going up and donw with weight on a trackable and corrlating basis - assuming it all takes place at the same employer and the same supervisor making the decisions. My analysis experience makes me skeptical that "controlling for demographic and job characteristics" can be suitable accomplished on a study like this, but I remain open to being convinced by the study authors. Thanks for sharing! Replies (1)   Report Abuse   sthomas 07/29/2011 10:07:47 AM EDT Thanks for the comment. Here's a link to the paper: http://www.timothy-judge.com/Judge%20and%20Cable%20(JAP%202010).pdf After you look at their research, please share your thoughts with us! Post a reply Sign in or Sign up to post a comment

Report Abuse   Les 07/26/2011 9:48:18 AM EDT Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best: "What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you" As woman and men look in the mirror and "shape up" the relationship with themselves -- high-value workforce wellbeing becomes achievable and rewards individual accountability. Les Replies (0) Post a reply Sign in or Sign up to post a comment

Report Abuse   ACGuadagno 07/26/2011 9:21:18 AM EDT This article presents some really interesting data! Why do you think there is a difference in the relationship of weight to earnings for men and for women? Replies (1)   Report Abuse   sthomas 07/26/2011 11:42:14 AM EDT I think that the relationship between weight and earnings is different for men and women because we, as a society, have different standards of physical appearance for men and women. I think Judge and Cable are right on target - the workplace has internalized the perceptions and expectations of society-at-large when it comes to gender and weight. Post a reply Sign in or Sign up to post a comment