Obese people in white-collar jobs earn significantly less than their slimmer counterparts, figures show.
An analysis by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that men with a college degree and a BMI over 30 earned five percent less than their healthy-weight peers.
Among women, the difference was even greater: obese and highly educated women earned 12 percent less than their slim colleagues.
The research took into account race, age and marital status – all of which can affect how much money someone makes – and the inequality
The finding suggests that there is a “fat bias” in corporate America that is causing obese people to miss out on billions of dollars in revenue.
But the analysis found the opposite was true for blue-collar jobs, where obese workers were paid better than their slimmer colleagues.
When researchers compared men with bachelor's degrees, they found that those classified as obese earned five percent less than their non-obese counterparts
In the analysis conducted by The economistresearchers analyzed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics of 23,000 men and women between the ages of 25 and 54 who work full-time.
They not only looked at men with a bachelor's degree, but also compared men with an advanced degree.
When researchers compared men with a college degree, those who were obese earned 14 percent less.
Women faced a similar fate, but the margins were wider. Obese women with a bachelor's degree earned 12 percent less than their peers, and those with a college degree earned 19 percent less.
The career someone has chosen makes a difference, with varying pay gaps between obese workers and workers with a normal BMI across industries.
Obese healthcare workers can be expected to earn 11 percent less than slimmer colleagues, and obese employees in management positions earn nine percent less.
However, the opposite is true for workers in construction and agriculture, where obese workers earn more than people with a normal BMI.
Nearly 42 percent of adults in the U.S. are considered obese — with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or the rough equivalent of someone 6 feet tall weighing 203 pounds or more.
This means millions of Americans could be missing out on tens of thousands of dollars.
The Economist found that due to discrimination against both women and men with an obese BMI, they could be missing out on up to $70 billion a year.
Previous studies show similar results.
A study of 2019 found that BMI was associated with chronic discrimination at work, with subjects classified as obese and morbidly obese reporting higher discrimination at work compared to subjects with normal BMI.
A special one 2018 Meta-analysis of 21 studies found an inverse causal relationship between obesity and income, showing that lower income is associated with subsequent obesity.
Due to the growing body of evidence pointing to weight discrimination, a number of state and local leaders are considering laws banning employment discrimination based on weight, including Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont.
The mayor of New York City signed a law in May that bans discrimination against anyone based on height or weight.
Additionally, San Francisco and Washington DC prohibit discrimination based on appearance.
However, as part of the study, researchers at The Economist analyzed the wage gap between obese workers and those with a normal BMI, only in Michigan, where a similar ban has been in place for almost half a century.
Despite that legislation, they found that the wage penalty for obesity was no lower than for America as a whole.
Although these studies relied on a person's BMI to determine obesity, the American Medical Association voted in June to stop using the measurement to assess weight and overall health because it is “an imperfect way to measure fat in multiple groups.” to measure, since this is the case'. not taking into account differences between racial/ethnic groups, sexes, genders and age groups.”
The AMA instead suggested educating doctors about the problems with BMI and using alternative measures for diagnosing obesity.