Being skinny pays at work

New study shows women who weigh less than the average earn more


Being skinny pays off for women at work with employers paying very thin women more than average-weight women, according to a new study.

By contrast, the study of 11,253 Germans and 12,686 Americans, found very thin men tend to be paid less than male workers of average weight.

"Although it is possible that truly obese employees may create additional employment costs (e.g., medical costs, workspace accommodations), weight may have little relationship with true performance in most jobs. In particular, it would seem quite unlikely that weight affects job performance in the very thin to average weight range. As such, it is troubling that average weight women and thin men are penalized in the employment context, whereas very thin women and men of average or even above average weights are rewarded," stated the study When it Comes to pay, Do the Thin Win? The Effect of Weight on Pay for Men and Women.

The study found women who weighted 25 pounds less than the group norm, earned an average US$15,572 a year more than women of normal weight.

Women continued to experience a pay penalty as their weight increased above average levels, with women who weighed 25 pounds above the average earning US$13,847 a year less than women of normal weight.

Body image stereotypes are reversed for men, with men who weighed less than average-weight men earning US$8,437 less a year. Men were consistently rewarded for getting heavier until their weight reached the obese mark.

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