George Washington University Study Finds a Wage Gap for Women of Different Weights

A new study by researchers at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services has found that there is a significant wage gap between average weight women and obese women. But no similar gap occurs for average weight men and obese men.

In 2008, wages for obese females were $5,826 less than the mean wages for women of average weight. This is a 14.6 percent earnings penalty for obese females. However, men who were obese earned about the same as men of average weight.

The wage gap for obese women was apparent for White and Hispanic women but not for African American women. And Black men who were obese actually had higher mean wages than Black men of average weight.