The Obesity Pay Gap: Gender, Body Size, and Wage Inequalities in China

• In Event: 118 - Section on Economic Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 19. Social Stratification in Labor Markets

Abstract

Sociocultural values emphasizing Western ideal body figures have become more important over the past twenty years. An important question is whether the same obesity wage penalties seen in the United States, such as wage reductions for obese individuals, are emerging alongside ideal body figure changes in China. We hypothesize that Westernization will exacerbate the impact of body size on wages for years to come, particularly for nonmanual workers whose workplaces call for extensive interpersonal relations with employers, colleagues, or customers. This study examines the economic outcomes for individuals aged 18–55, focusing on 5,103 female and 6,901 male participants in the longitudinal 1991–2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey. Linear fixed-effects regression models estimate the net effect of BMI on wages; the marginal effect of BMI on wages, by survey year, is also estimated. All analyses control for demographic backgrounds and household fixed effects and are stratified by gender. The results show that there was no obesity wage penalty for men and women during the period 1991–2009. On the other hand, the wage disparity gap for heavier women with nonmanual jobs increased significantly after 2000. Specifically, normal weight women with nonmanual jobs in 2009 made 2.84–2.96 times more than in 1991, while overweight women made 2.77–2.80 times more, and obese women made only 2.58–2.74 times more. The results indicate that women have been subject to wage disparities since 2000, while current male obesity rates may be worsened by social acceptance of a larger body size, particularly for manual workers.

Authors

• Chih-Chien Huang, Saint Anselm College

• Scott Thomas Yabiku, The Pennsylvania State University

• Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld, Arizona State University

• Stephanie Ayers, Arizona State University