Obesity, Self-esteem and Wages

No 15101, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Obesity is associated with serious health problems, and it can generate adverse economic outcomes. We analyze a nationally-representative sample of young American adults to investigate the interplay between obesity, wages and self-esteem. Wages can be impacted directly by obesity, and they can be influenced by obesity indirectly through the channel of obesity to self-esteem to wages. We find that female wages are directly influenced by body weight, and self-esteem has an impact on wages in case of whites. Being overweight or obese has a negative impact on the self-esteem of females and of black males. The results suggest that obesity has the most significant impact on white women's wages.

JEL-codes: I1 I12 J3 J31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap, nep-hea and nep-neu
Note: EH
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Published as Obesity, Self-Esteem and Wages , Naci Mocan, Erdal Tekin. in Economic Aspects of Obesity , Grossman and Mocan. 2011

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