Obesity, occupational attainment, and earnings

Objective. This study contributes to the study of the relationship between obesity, occupational attainment, and earnings. Methods. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), we utilize a multinomial logit specification to investigate the occupational selection of obese individuals. We then estimate earnings functions that account for the occupational attainment of the overweight. Results. We find that women pay a penalty for being obese, but overweight males, via occupational mobility, sort themselves into jobs to offset this penalty. Conclusions. Weight-related occupational sorting of males may be the outcome of the low barriers they face when moving across occupations. The occupational segregation found for obese women, however, may be mostly rooted in labor market discrimination.