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Study: Your Weight Affects Your Salary

Thin Women, Heavier Men Take Home More Of The Bacon

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A new study found that thinner women had fatter paychecks than average-sized or overweight women. (Photo credit: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

A new study found that thinner women had fatter paychecks than average-sized or overweight women. (Photo credit: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

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NEW YORK (CBS 2) –  In a country plagued by obesity, eating disorders, and the all-too-common pressure to simply look good, a new study finds that your waist size can play a role in your wallet size.

The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, shows that skinny women tend to have fatter paychecks than average or overweight women.

The same can’t be said for men, however. Larger men are shown to have larger paychecks than their thinner brethren, according to the study. In fact, as a man’s weight increases, so does his salary — until the point of obesity, when his salary then drops.

The Wall Street Journal reports that in looking at the differences of earnings between men and women of different sizes, the study’s author discovered significant gaps. Women who weighed 25 pounds less than average-sized women in the sampling earned an average of $15,572 more. On the other hand, a woman who weighed 25 pounds more than normal-sized women made $13,847 less than their average counterparts.

Thinner men were just as unfortunate as heavier women, earning $8,437 less than average-sized men.

What do you think about the results? Post your comments below!

View Comments
  • Robert

    So true! Thin women tend to like bigger men, maybe inbred from the prehistoric days when the female sought the protection of the bigger male. Small guys tend to be bald and gay, so unattractive to females.

  • http://underestimatedmom.wordpress.com underestimatedmom

    Totally wish this was true becaue I would be making BANK MONEY! But I am a stay at home mom and my income is the amount my husband gives me for groceries ;)

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  • http://velvetslist.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/as-women-does-our-weight-affect-our-prospects-for-love-romance/ As Women, Does our Weight Affect Our Prospects for Love & Romance? | Velvet's List

    [...] York’s CBS affiliate recently published an article entitled Study: Your Weight Affects Your Salary. The article about recent research says than women 25 pounds under the “average” do [...]

  • http://rockinrav.wordpress.com rav

    May be I should concentrate on my weight now before asking for next raise!!

  • Michelle

    Interesting article. I would like to have a poll done at my office to find out whether the skinny chicks are banking more than the fat chicks.

    Everyone still harping on the GRAMMAR issue are all idiots with little to no salaries. Lets focus on the big picture instead of the minor details.

  • http://praisecharlotte.com/charlotte/lonniehunter/study-your-weight-affects-your-salary/ Study: Your Weight Affects Your Salary | PraiseCharlotte – Praise 100.9 Charlotte's Home for the Gospel Community

    [...] VIA CBS NEW YORKIn a country plagued by obesity, eating disorders, and the all-too-common pressure to simply look good, a new study finds that your waist size can play a role in your wallet size. [...]

  • http://923now.radio.com/2010/10/08/your-weight-determines-your-salary/ Your Weight Determines Your Salary?! What?! « 92.3 NOW – New York’s Hit Music Channel

    [...] Read More NOW > [...]

  • FatRichChick

    It’s a study of a bigot. I’m fat and I make more than good. I just proved you wrong.

  • 0311marine

    Pretty people get more money! period

    • DR

      Can’t expect any better from a marine

  • SkinnyGirl

    Everybody is not eating the same food. Some food has no nutritional value and causes diseases. Smart guy. I don’t even exercise @ all.

  • http://mrbrand.wordpress.com/2010/10/02/monday-october-4-2010/ Friday, October 8, 2010 « Mr. Brand’s Blog
  • REDICULOUS

    What they should do is a study that shows correlation between the size of a man’s testicles and his paycheck. Case solved.

    -pleaze donot corect mi speeling nor grammer

  • http://www.openmarket.org/2010/10/08/morning-media-summary-2/ Morning Media Summary | OpenMarket.org

    [...] Study: Your Weight Affects Your Salary: “In a country plagued by obesity, eating disorders, and the all-too-common pressure to simply look good, a new study finds that your waist size can play a role in your wallet size.” [...]

  • John V. Karavitis

    John V. Karavitis An interesting study. This study’s results make sense for women. Heavier, overweight women are obviosuly less attractive than thinner women, both on average and as a group. Thinner women are more desirable than overweight women, more easily approached, taken more seriously, etc. So the study’s results make sense for that demographic group. However, I disagree with the alleged correlation for men. In past studies it’s been mens’ HEIGHT that has been correlated with higher salaries, raises, etc. And taller men will weigh more than shorter men, on average, ceteris paribus. So I think that for men, the correlation holds, but not for the factor that they claim. They have conflated height with weight. John V. Karavitis, John Karavitis, Karavitis, KC9ISD, Athlinks, George, MySpace, Facebook, Bigsight, YouTube.

  • phil better

    I’d rather be skinny and “poor” then fat and “rich”. Their shiny will get dull while my body still has pull.

  • http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/north-american-politics/105070-discrimination.html#post2188196 Discrimination! – Religious Education Forum

    [...] [...]

  • Chris

    Please don’t read this and confuse causality with correlation. Your weight doesn’t CAUSE your salary to be this or that…there is some third factor, or more likely a set of factors, that are affecting both your pay and your weight.

    Its like saying 100% of Women who go get ultrasounds end up having babies… Well do we then say the Ultrasound CAUSES the baby or is there some third, prior event that causes both the baby and the ultrasound?

    What would be most fascinating is for these “researchers” to find out what those root causes are. I”m going to guess it is something behavioral both on the part of the individual and on the part of how society treats that individual based on appearance.

  • Derek

    Men and women project power in different ways. Men through physical presence and women through attractiveness. It’s as simple as that. That explains why skinny men and obese men both don’t make as much.

    • me the boss

      Because skinny one is most likely digging the roads instead of sitting in a leather, comfy chair.

  • JoJo

    Ahhh, just what I needed an excuse to eat more. It’ll be chicken wings and nachos for lunch today. YeeeHawww!

  • Steve

    It’s NOT “HEAVIER MEN” it’s actually “TALLER MEN” who of course tend to be heavier.

  • MountainView

    Was Obama’s stimulus money used to take this awful survey? Just curious.

    And hey, leave Tea along. Why is everyone picking on Tea?

  • d galyon

    h ross perot and oprah seem to break the rule pretty well.

  • Elizabeth Morin

    Old men are likely to be fat and also more likely to be at a higher earning point than young men, who are likely skinnier. Young women are more highly educated than their previous generation and are also more educated than their young male counterparts, which is why they probably earn more than their fatter, older female counterparts and their less educated skinny male counterparts. Age/Education is the correlation, not weight.

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