Working Paper: NBER ID: w15027
Authors: Euna Han; Edward C. Norton; Lisa M. Powell
Abstract: Previous estimates on the association between body weight and wages in the literature have been contingent on education and occupation. This paper examines the direct effect of BMI on wages and the indirect effects operating through education and occupation choice, particularly for late-teen BMI and adult wages. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 data, we show that education is the main pathway for the indirect BMI wage penalty. The total BMI wage penalty is underestimated by 18% for women without including those indirect effects. Whereas for men there is no statistically significant direct BMI wage penalty, we do observe a small indirect wage penalty through education.
Keywords: BMI; wages; education; occupation; teen obesity
JEL Codes: I1; J31
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| late-teen BMI (I12) | adult wages (J31) |
| late-teen BMI (I12) | education (I29) |
| education (I29) | adult wages (J31) |