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Obesity and Stature in Adolescence and Earnings in Young Adulthood: Analysis of a British Birth Cohort

Obesity and Stature in Adolescence and Earnings in Young Adulthood: Analysis of a British Birth... Abstract Objective: To examine the association between obesity and stature at various ages and earnings in young men and women at age 23 years. Design: We estimated the effect of obesity on earnings by constructing a series of ordinary least-squares regression equations in which the dependent variable was the natural logarithm of hourly earnings at age 23 years. We report the coefficients for obese subjects compared with those for the nonobese subjects and for height while controlling for a number of other factors that are known to affect pay. Setting: A birth cohort of 12 537 respondents at age 23 years from the National Child Development Study, which consists of all children born in England, Scotland, and Wales between March 3 and 9, 1958. Outcome Measure: Hourly earnings at age 23 years as it relates to obesity, as determined by the body mass index and stature measured as a continuous variable. Results: Men and women who had been obese at age 16 years had significantly fewer years of schooling than did their nonobese peers. Obese women performed poorly on math and reading tests at ages 7,11, and 16 years when compared with their nonobese peers. Regression analyses indicated no relationship between obesity at any age and earnings at age 23 years in males. In contrast, there was a statistically significant inverse relation between obesity and earnings in females, independent of parental social class and ability test scores of the child. Female adolescents who were in the top 10% of the body mass index at age 16 years earned 7.4% less (95% confidence interval, −11% to −3.8%) than their nonobese peers; those in the top 1% earned 11.4% less (−21% to −1.5%). The inverse relationship between obesity at 16 years of age and earnings persisted whether the adolescent female remained obese (−6.4% [−12.3% to−4.7%]) or moved into the nonobese category by age 23 years (−7.5% [−12.5% to −2.4%]). A positive relationship was found between height at age 16 years and earnings at age 23 years for men (but not for women) after controlling for social class and IQ. Conclusions: This study demonstrates an inverse relationship between obesity at 16 years and earnings at age 23 years for British women; the magnitude of the relation is similar to that of other factors that predict earnings, such as gender, job training, and union membership. In the case of men, we found a positive relationship between height and subsequent earnings but no obesity effects.(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1994;148:681-687) References 1. National Research Council Committee on Diet and Health. Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk . 2nd ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1990:749. 2. Sobal J. Obesity and socioeconomic status: a framework for examining relationships between physical and social variables . Med Anthropol . 1991;13:231-247.Crossref 3. Stunkard AJ, Sorensen TI. Obesity and socioeconomic status-a complex relation . N Engl J Med . 1993;329:1036-1037.Crossref 4. Gortmaker SL, Must A, Perrin JM, Sobol AM, Dietz WH. Social and economic consequences of overweight in adolescence and young adulthood . N Engl J Med . 1993;329:1008-1012.Crossref 5. Hammermesh DS, Biddle JE. Beauty and the Labour Market . National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 4518. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research; 1993. 6. Johnson WG, Lambrinos J. Wage discrimination against handicapped men and women . J Hum Resources . 1985;20:265-277. 7. Elias P, Blanchflower D. The Occupations, Earnings and Work Histories of Young Adults—Who Gets the Good Jobs? London, England: Department of Employment; 1988. 8. Must A, Dallal GE, Dietz WH. Reference data for obesity: 85th and 95th percentiles of body mass index (wt/ht2) and triceps skinfold thickness . Am J Clin Nutr . 1991;53:839-846. 9. Blanchflower D, Oswald A. The wage curve . Scand J Econ . 1990;92:215-236.Crossref 10. Power C, Moynihan C. Social class and changes in weight-for-height between childhood and early adulthood . Int J Obes . 1988;12:445-453. 11. Moore ME, Stunkard AJ, Srole L. Obesity, social class, and mental illness . JAMA . 1962;181:962-966.Crossref 12. Sobal J, Stunkard AJ. Socioeconomic status and obesity: a review of the literature . Psychol Bull . 1989;105:260-275.Crossref 13. Peckham CS, Stark O, Simonite V, Wolff OH. Prevalence of obesity in British children born in 1946 and 1958 . BMJ . 1983;286:1237-1242.Crossref 14. Stunkard A, dAquili E, Fox S, Filion RD. Influence of social class on obesity and thinness in children . JAMA . 1972;221:579-584.Crossref 15. Braddon FEM, Rodgers B, Wadsworth MEJ, Davies JMC. Onset of obesity in a 36 year birth cohort study . BMJ . 1986;293:299-303.Crossref 16. Garn SM, Sullivan TV, Hawthorne VM. Educational level, fatness, and fatness differences between husbands and wives . Am J Clin Nutr . 1989;50:740-745. 17. Oken B, Hartz A, Giefer E, Rimm AA. Relation between socioeconomic status and obesity changes in 9046 women . Prev Med . 1977;6:447-453.Crossref 18. Leigh JP, Berger MC. Effects of smoking and being overweight on current earnings . Am J Prev Med . 1989;5:8-14. 19. McLean RA, Moon M. Health, obesity, and earnings . Am J Public Health . 1980; 70:1006-1009.Crossref 20. Averett SA, Korenman S. The Economic Reality of the Beauty Myth . National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 4521. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research; 1993. 21. Blanchflower D, Lynch L. Training at work: a comparison of U.S. and British youths . In: Lynch L, ed. International Comparisons of Private Sector Training . Chicago, III: University of Chicago Press and National Bureau of Economic Research; 1994. 22. Blanchflower D. Fear, unemployment and pay flexibility . Econ J . 1991;101: 483-496.Crossref http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine American Medical Association

Obesity and Stature in Adolescence and Earnings in Young Adulthood: Analysis of a British Birth Cohort

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References (30)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
1072-4710
eISSN
1538-3628
DOI
10.1001/archpedi.1994.02170070019003
Publisher site
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Abstract

Abstract Objective: To examine the association between obesity and stature at various ages and earnings in young men and women at age 23 years. Design: We estimated the effect of obesity on earnings by constructing a series of ordinary least-squares regression equations in which the dependent variable was the natural logarithm of hourly earnings at age 23 years. We report the coefficients for obese subjects compared with those for the nonobese subjects and for height while controlling for a number of other factors that are known to affect pay. Setting: A birth cohort of 12 537 respondents at age 23 years from the National Child Development Study, which consists of all children born in England, Scotland, and Wales between March 3 and 9, 1958. Outcome Measure: Hourly earnings at age 23 years as it relates to obesity, as determined by the body mass index and stature measured as a continuous variable. Results: Men and women who had been obese at age 16 years had significantly fewer years of schooling than did their nonobese peers. Obese women performed poorly on math and reading tests at ages 7,11, and 16 years when compared with their nonobese peers. Regression analyses indicated no relationship between obesity at any age and earnings at age 23 years in males. In contrast, there was a statistically significant inverse relation between obesity and earnings in females, independent of parental social class and ability test scores of the child. Female adolescents who were in the top 10% of the body mass index at age 16 years earned 7.4% less (95% confidence interval, −11% to −3.8%) than their nonobese peers; those in the top 1% earned 11.4% less (−21% to −1.5%). The inverse relationship between obesity at 16 years of age and earnings persisted whether the adolescent female remained obese (−6.4% [−12.3% to−4.7%]) or moved into the nonobese category by age 23 years (−7.5% [−12.5% to −2.4%]). A positive relationship was found between height at age 16 years and earnings at age 23 years for men (but not for women) after controlling for social class and IQ. Conclusions: This study demonstrates an inverse relationship between obesity at 16 years and earnings at age 23 years for British women; the magnitude of the relation is similar to that of other factors that predict earnings, such as gender, job training, and union membership. In the case of men, we found a positive relationship between height and subsequent earnings but no obesity effects.(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1994;148:681-687) References 1. National Research Council Committee on Diet and Health. Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk . 2nd ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1990:749. 2. Sobal J. Obesity and socioeconomic status: a framework for examining relationships between physical and social variables . Med Anthropol . 1991;13:231-247.Crossref 3. Stunkard AJ, Sorensen TI. Obesity and socioeconomic status-a complex relation . N Engl J Med . 1993;329:1036-1037.Crossref 4. Gortmaker SL, Must A, Perrin JM, Sobol AM, Dietz WH. Social and economic consequences of overweight in adolescence and young adulthood . N Engl J Med . 1993;329:1008-1012.Crossref 5. Hammermesh DS, Biddle JE. Beauty and the Labour Market . National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 4518. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research; 1993. 6. Johnson WG, Lambrinos J. Wage discrimination against handicapped men and women . J Hum Resources . 1985;20:265-277. 7. Elias P, Blanchflower D. The Occupations, Earnings and Work Histories of Young Adults—Who Gets the Good Jobs? London, England: Department of Employment; 1988. 8. Must A, Dallal GE, Dietz WH. Reference data for obesity: 85th and 95th percentiles of body mass index (wt/ht2) and triceps skinfold thickness . Am J Clin Nutr . 1991;53:839-846. 9. Blanchflower D, Oswald A. The wage curve . Scand J Econ . 1990;92:215-236.Crossref 10. Power C, Moynihan C. Social class and changes in weight-for-height between childhood and early adulthood . Int J Obes . 1988;12:445-453. 11. Moore ME, Stunkard AJ, Srole L. Obesity, social class, and mental illness . JAMA . 1962;181:962-966.Crossref 12. Sobal J, Stunkard AJ. Socioeconomic status and obesity: a review of the literature . Psychol Bull . 1989;105:260-275.Crossref 13. Peckham CS, Stark O, Simonite V, Wolff OH. Prevalence of obesity in British children born in 1946 and 1958 . BMJ . 1983;286:1237-1242.Crossref 14. Stunkard A, dAquili E, Fox S, Filion RD. Influence of social class on obesity and thinness in children . JAMA . 1972;221:579-584.Crossref 15. Braddon FEM, Rodgers B, Wadsworth MEJ, Davies JMC. Onset of obesity in a 36 year birth cohort study . BMJ . 1986;293:299-303.Crossref 16. Garn SM, Sullivan TV, Hawthorne VM. Educational level, fatness, and fatness differences between husbands and wives . Am J Clin Nutr . 1989;50:740-745. 17. Oken B, Hartz A, Giefer E, Rimm AA. Relation between socioeconomic status and obesity changes in 9046 women . Prev Med . 1977;6:447-453.Crossref 18. Leigh JP, Berger MC. Effects of smoking and being overweight on current earnings . Am J Prev Med . 1989;5:8-14. 19. McLean RA, Moon M. Health, obesity, and earnings . Am J Public Health . 1980; 70:1006-1009.Crossref 20. Averett SA, Korenman S. The Economic Reality of the Beauty Myth . National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 4521. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic Research; 1993. 21. Blanchflower D, Lynch L. Training at work: a comparison of U.S. and British youths . In: Lynch L, ed. International Comparisons of Private Sector Training . Chicago, III: University of Chicago Press and National Bureau of Economic Research; 1994. 22. Blanchflower D. Fear, unemployment and pay flexibility . Econ J . 1991;101: 483-496.Crossref

Journal

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine – American Medical Association

Published: Jul 1, 1994

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