Dear Commons Community,

Christy M. Glass and Eric N. Reither, associate professors of sociology at Utah State University, and Steven A. Haas, assistant professor of sociology at Arizona State University, have an op-ed piece in today’s  NY Times that reports on a study they have just completed on the affect of obesity on earning power and college success.   Their major conclusion is:

“obesity affects not only health but also economic outcomes: overweight people have less success in the job market and make less money over the course of their careers than slimmer people. The problem is particularly acute for overweight women, because they are significantly less likely to complete college.”

Their study is based on an examination of data from a the Wisconsin Longitudinal  Database that tracks more than 10,000 people who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957. From career entry to retirement, overweight men experienced no barriers to getting hired and promoted. But heavier women worked in jobs that had lower earnings and social status and required less education than their thinner female peers.

Besides the well-reported health issues, this is another reason for parents to help and encourage their children to eat healthy and lead active lives.

Tony