Overweight/Obesity Penalties in Economic Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of Chinese Adults, 1991-2009

• In Event: 392 - Section on Asia and Asian America Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 02. Asians, Asian Americans, and Health

Abstract

China’s social and economic reform, beginning in 1978, accelerated capitalism and the availability of energy-dense, high fat foods and opened the door to Western ideas, including body image. However, it is unknown if the same weight penalties seen in the U.S., such as wage reductions for overweight/obese individuals, are associated with China’s social and economic reform. This study examines the economic outcomes from individual ages of 18–55 (n= 12,095) who participated in a 1991–2009 study, the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). We hypothesize that (1) becoming overweight or obese will be associated with reductions in monthly wages. (2) Occupations will function as a mediator underlying the association between weight status and economic well-being. (3) There is rising or exacerbating weight penalty in individual wages for occupations which require more social interactions. Methods: Linear fixed-effects regression estimates the net effect of weight status on monthly wages. All analyses are stratified by gender. Results: There are overweight/obesity penalties for women but not for men; becoming overweight or obese is associated with a 5.7% reduction in for women. We did not find that occupation functions as a mediator for the association between weight status and economic outcomes regardless gender. There is emerging overweight/obesity penalty in men with profession-based occupations after 2004, and there is disappearing overweight/obesity reward in men with service-based occupations after 2000. Conclusions: This article argues that recent Chinese social changes may have potentially reproduced the Western experience of weight penalties in economic outcomes.

Authors

• Chih-Chien Huang, Arizona State University

• Scott Thomas Yabiku, Arizona State University

• Stephanie Ayers, Arizona State University

• Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld, Arizona State University